Welcome

Welkam and thank you for visiting the Department of Tourism website.

Whether you are planning your first trip to Vanuatu, running a bungalow or a tour business, investing in our sector, studying it or working alongside us as a partner, I hope you find what you need here. This site brings together the policies, regulations, standards and procedures that shape tourism in our country, information that applies equally to ni-Vanuatu and to visitors from overseas.

Tourism matters to Vanuatu in a way that few other industries do. It reaches into our islands and our villages and it touches families directly, through the guesthouse, the transport operator, the market vendor, the guide, the string band. That is why the decisions we make about how tourism grows are decisions about the kind of country we want to be.

These past years have tested us. Rebuilding after disruption has taken patience and hard work from every part of the sector, and I want to acknowledge that effort. Our arrivals are climbing again, by air and by sea, and new flights, new accommodation and a strong cruise outlook give us real momentum. Our task now is to make sure that growth is the right kind of growth.

To that end, we are refreshing the Vanuatu Sustainable Tourism Strategy around five pillars: high-value, low-impact tourism; niche product development; inclusive value chains; stronger sustainability governance; and better planning for cruise tourism. In July 2026 we took this work to Luganville and Port Vila, sitting down with operators, provincial authorities, government agencies and our regional partners. What we heard in those rooms is shaping the strategy, as it should.

We are also reforming how we license and accredit tourism businesses. We are moving to a single, streamlined permit and introducing the Vanuatu Tourism Operator Sustainable Standards — a tiered framework that lets operators be recognized for the steps they take and to keep climbing. This is not simply about changing forms and processes. It is about building a tourism sector that works for Vanuatu and about this Department being a partner to business in its path.

Through all of it, one principle holds. Tourism in Vanuatu must remain in ni-Vanuatu hands and must return real benefit to our communities, to our rural and outer-island provinces, to women- and youth-led enterprises and to the custodians of our kastom. Our environment and our culture are not a backdrop to the visitor experience. They are the reason people come and they belong to the generations after us.

Please make use of the resources on this site and do not hesitate to contact our team if we can assist you. Tank yu tumas and welcome to Vanuatu.