Vanuatu Tourism Office is ramping up marketing activity in key source markets in the face of tough competition. A range of campaigns are being implemented in Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia to increase Vanuatu’s global presence and combat competitor activity. Vanuatu Tourism Office general manager Annie Niatu says while 2010 will be a challenging year, positive growth is possible if significant marketing activity in undertaken in the major overseas markets.   “2009 was a successful year for the industry, visitors were up around 11% and for the first time ever Vanuatu hit 100,000 visitor arrivals.

It is important to capitalize on this growth,“ said Annie Niatu, general manager of the Vanuatu Tourism Office. “Competitors like Fiji, who have suffered in 2009 are investing huge amounts into marketing which has proven a challenge in the start of 2010. Despite this, we are confident that positive growth can be maintained in 2010 with increased and highly targeted marketing efforts.”  In Australia, three campaigns specifically aiming to drive sales in the current low period with advertising in major metro newspapers are being run in partnership with key wholesalers, Air Vanuatu and the Vanuatu Tourism Office.

With forward bookings presenting a challenge to many resorts, the Vanuatu Tourism Office and Air Vanuatu are partnering to run a major Flight Centre campaign in April. This will include press, online activity and television commercials. Further campaigns with Qantas Holidays and Pacific Specialist Holidays are planned to run before the end of May.  The Vanuatu Tourism Office has exhibited at six consumer shows in Australia already this year, reaching over 74,000 consumers interested in travelling in the near future. Vanuatu Tourism will also be exhibiting at the Travel Expo’s in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane over the coming months. As part of the ongoing effort to better educate travel agents and reservation staff to sell Vanuatu, an online travel agent training will be launched next month through Travel Weekly’s online Travel Academy training programme in Australia. This training programme will be supported with trade advertisements and an incentive for agents with the chance to win a monthly familiarization visit to Vanuatu.

In the New Zealand market, a two week television campaign has just concluded in conjunction with Air Vanuatu, Vanuatu Tourism Office and House of Travel. Throughout January and February, Vanuatu Tourism exhibited at a series of Flight Centre Expo’s in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. At present, Air New Zealand has a red hot airfare currently in the market place for Vanuatu and is implementing a series of online campaigns to promote this. Next month, the Vanuatu Tourism Office will have a strong presence at the NZ Roadshows in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch aswell as a Wedding Show in Auckland.

In New Caledonia, the Vanuatu Tourism Office recently exhibited at Noumea Tok Tok presenting to over 80 travel agents at daily seminars over a three day period. A strategy is underway for a highly targeted advertising campaign geared toward the next school holiday season in May.

In the US and North America region, VTO was busy Beneath the Sea dive expo, liaising with new dive operators keen to include Vanuatu in their worldwide offerings, making sales calls with Air Pacific representative in California to find  potential new sellers for Vanuatu, one high end wholesaler in particular who sells snorkel trips around the world with great potential for Vanuatu, and meeting new educational operators focusing on dive, snorkel and reef preservation.  An agent who travelled to Vanuatu with the US Group Agents famil in November last year confirmed a group booking for 2011 as a result of the visit.

The US representative is also pleased to announce that her working with the members of the Scuba Diving Hall of Fame has placed Allan Power as a nominee for induction into the organization, recognized as the “father” of the Coolidge.  VTO US is currently working with a journalist who is pitching a story for Islands Magazine, likely to feature the development of new properties, which continue to elevate Vanuatu to a higher level of accommodation range for the top end market to promote this end of the market possibly with an additional storyline on family or adventure travel.

Tourism businesses continue to thrive in the capital with the latest additions such as new restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops and the likes. K & T Restaurant & Thai Massage is owned and managed by James Lee and is located in the Vila Mall building opposite Vanuatu National Provident Funds building, specializing in oriental Chinese cuisine, and in a separate room a professional masseur offers Thai massage.

The Rock Café, also located in the town’s new Vila Mall building is managed by Pip Hannam, previously manager of Seafoods Fish Market. The Rock Café serves delicious coffee and light snacks.

Savour Chinese Restaurant, located near Le Lagon junction & Pango Road intersection, is a new restaurant that has recently opened and has already drawn in a good crowd of customers who drop in for Chinese cuisine.

So if you’re holidaying in Port Vila and feel like any of the above, pop into the new restaurants and indulge!

Lonely Planet released its latest travel guide list of the world’s happiest places. Topping the list is the 80 tropical island archipelago of Vanuatu, in the South Pacific island, while Montreal in Quebec holds second place. Lonely Planet said it was not surprised that Vanuatu emerged as the happiest place, because the general idea of a happy life, has images of a hammock in a white-sand beach. Vanuatu is known for its blue waters teeming with life, lush vegetation and scenic environment. This and more is reflected in the happy smiles of the local Ni-Vanuatu people. Lonely Planet’s travel guide pointed out Montreal is considered a happy city because it hosts Just for Laughs, which is one of the world’s biggest comedy festivals during summer. Lonely Planet said the Quebec city is also clean, welcoming and multicultural. The travel guide said other happy cities could be found in Wuyi Shan in China and Malawi in Africa. Wuyi Shan is described as a place of secret valleys with waterfalls and mysterious caves. Malawi is known for greeting visitors with effusive grins. In 2009, Forbes.com named Rio de Janiero in Brazil as the world’s happiest city, followed by Sydney in Australia.

In 2006 Vanuatu was named the happiest place on earth on the Happy Planet Index. The survey, compiled by the New Economics Foundation and the Friends of the Earth, said Vanuatu, with a population of just 209,000, came out on top because its people are happy, live to nearly 70 years of age and do little damage to the planet. Vanuatu was followed by ten Latin American and Caribbean countries, all ranked according to their ecological footprint, life-satisfaction and life expectancy. The Happy Planet Index was compiled to prove that people can live long, happy lives without consuming large amounts of the Earth’s resources.

Though living standards in the West may have improved dramatically over the past 50 years, it does not mean that people are any happier. Although Vanuatu topped the happiness index, it ranked 207th out of 233 economies, when measured against Gross Domestic Product and is classed as a Developing Nation.

Many now consider Vanuatu as the best kept secret of the South Pacific islands.

Two supersite billboards that show Vanuatu’s new brand imagery and a tagline are up at Sydney Airport, Australia! Measured at 12.66m x 3.35m, the billboard are designed to impact affluent business travelers waiting for taxis, and a driving audience coming from the Virgin and Jetstar pick up zones.  The supersite billboards are impacting all drivers on approach to Sydney International Airport passenger drop off zones, and raising much interest and awareness on beautiful Vanuatu.

Vanuatu is entering an exciting new phase in its development and local residents have noticed, in particular, the significant increase in property prices and overseas investment.

The Vanuatu Government has been proactive and has undertaken initiatives in conjunction with the private sector to streamline bureaucracy and fast track over-seas investments.

With its cosmopolitan, English-French background, Vanuatu is considered to be the ‘undiscovered jewel of the Pacific’ and it is truly shaping up to be a wonderful place to live in. Airlines servicing Vanuatu have recently introduced additional direct flights to and from Australia.

What does all this mean? It will mean more hotel beds, more restaurants, more tourism related activities. The Vanuatu Government has placed tourism as a high priority in its development strategy and has incentives in place to encourage growth.Exciting times are ahead indeed for the tourism sector.

Vanuatu was voted the happiest country in the Happy Planet Index of 2006. You can see why Ni-Vanuatu are the happiest people on earth from their friendly smiles greeting you every where you go.

The large retiring baby boomer population of Australia and New Zealand are looking for a new ’home away from home’ and have now discovered Vanuatu as a place to retire. Australia being a short 3 hour flight away has been the deciding factor for retiring baby boomers to purchase homes and invest in Vanuatu. They are within easy flying time to their family and friends. These Baby boomers’ significant spending power will have a huge impact on the local economy.

One attractive aspect of Vanuatu to retirees is the absence of Income Tax in Vanuatu. The Government has opted for a system of indirect taxation. No Income Taxes, means less bureaucracy, less annoying paper work, NO annoying tax collectors and it’s related stress. It means all accumulated wealth is not subject to any form of Income Tax. This means more time and money for more “quality retirement” time.

Where can you purchase waterfront lease-hold land, only minutes from the Capital for a fraction of what you would pay in countries like Australia. Building costs are comparable to those in Developed Countries, so the exercise of purchasing land and building your dream residence will not differ much. The recent introduction of Strata Title Legislation and its associated regulations has opened up more opportunities in the commercialisation of property in Vanuatu.

This home space offers a dream setting overlooking pristine Mele Bay. Offering uninterrupted waterviews, this is the perfect position to build your dream residence. With direct beach access, views over to Hideaway Island and the coral sea beyond, don’t miss this opportunity to purchase this spectacular home space.

This home space enjoys expansive views out to the Coral Sea and offers direct beach access and all you need to build your tropical holiday home. Enjoy a round of golf at the adjacent Port Vila Golf Course, dive at nearby Hideaway Island or wet a line off the beach, don’t miss don’t miss this opportunity to secure one of the last 2 waterfronts lots.

This home space also enjoys expansive views out to the Coral Sea, beach access and close to a range of outdoor activities from golf, horseriding, hiking and fishing. Avue offers easy access to restaurants, shopping and Port Vila’s CBD, all only a short drive away. This is the last of the three waterfront lots so be sure to secure this piece of paradise.

When purchasing Lot 4 and 5 in Avue, investors are able to build a dual occupancy dwelling. A multiple story home is also allowed to take in the expansive views. Build a dream villa for yourself and create the opportunity to either rent the second property or sell it. This is the ideal opportunity.

Again when purchasing Lot 5 in Avue, investors are able to build a dual occupancy dwelling. A multiple story home is also allowed to take in the expansive views. Build a dream villa for yourself and create the opportunity to either rent the second property or sell it. This is the ideal opportunity.