The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) participated in the 3rd Edition of the Vanuatu Tourism Market Forum, held June 19–20, 2026, at the Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu in Port Vila. The two-day event, organized by the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) under the theme "Gateway to Growth—Australia, Aviation, & Cruise," gathered government officials, tourism executives, aviation leaders, and cruise industry representatives.
ATTA's Presentation: Adventure Tourism Growth in Vanuatu
Lea Faccarello presented on behalf of ATTA, delivering a session titled "Adventure Tourism Growth in Vanuatu: Vanuatu Adventure Tourism Destination Index Deep Dive & Industry Implications." The presentation shared key findings from ATTA's Vanuatu Adventure Tourism Destination Index and implications for the destination.
The central finding of this research was that the gap between Vanuatu's actual offering and its international awareness represents both its biggest challenge and its greatest opportunity. Travelers are increasingly seeking out lesser-traveled destinations for more authentic experiences, and Vanuatu's Indigenous kastom culture, volcanic landscapes, world-class dive sites, and strong small-business environment position it well for the adventure segment. The presentation outlined concrete recommendations, including pursuing additional UNESCO designations, bringing international media and adventure travel experts in-country, and leveraging ATTA platforms such as AdventureWEEK to grow the destination's profile among the trade.
Vanuatu's New Tourism Strategy
The forum served as the official launch of the Vanuatu Tourism Marketing Strategy 2026–2028, signaling a shift from post-crisis recovery to sustainable growth. The strategy focuses marketing investments on Experience Collectors and Adventure Seekers, prioritizes Australia (more than 60 percent of air arrivals) alongside New Zealand and New Caledonia, and pursues diversification into Europe, Asia, and North America. A key pillar is geographic dispersion, targeting a 10 percent annual increase in visitors reaching outer islands such as Espiritu Santo, Tanna, and Malekula, with a focus on high-yield segments including divers, yacht cruisers, and expedition cruise passengers.
A Unified Pacific Vision
Keynote speaker and former PATA CEO Peter Semone outlined four pillars for the next generation of Pacific tourism: resilience (prioritizing value over volume), regenerative development, multidimensional connectivity, and regional collaboration. He also moderated a discussion on the proposed Pacific Sky Bridge, a hub-and-spoke aviation concept linking Virgin Australia, Fiji Airways, Solomon Airlines, and Air Vanuatu to enable seamless multi-destination travel.
Maritime tourism, cruise, and the luxury superyacht sector also featured prominently, with industry leaders agreeing that stronger aviation and maritime infrastructure together would spread economic benefits across the archipelago.
"Vanuatu doesn't need to shout to be heard — it simply needs to be found and experienced," Semone said.