Vanuatu has taken its flagship TOK TOK trade event to Australia for the first time, with tourism chief Adela Issachar Aru using the Sydney and Brisbane stops to make a pointed case: this is not your standard Pacific island holiday.
The Vanuatu Tourism Office CEO told Australian agents and wholesalers that culture is the cornerstone of how the country hosts visitors, describing the destination as "very raw, very authentic" and distinct from its South Pacific neighbours. The pitch leans on what Vanuatu genuinely has that others don't: 83 islands, live volcanoes you can visit, serious diving, and kastom traditions that remain part of daily life rather than a show for tourists.
The timing makes sense. More than 48,000 Australians have travelled to Vanuatu recently, a 38 per cent jump year-on-year, and momentum has carried into 2026 after a tough stretch of airline disruptions, natural disasters and a slow tourism recovery. Australians have made up over 60 per cent of Vanuatu's visitor market for three straight decades — as Issachar Aru put it, Australia is "the heartbeat" of the country's tourism industry.
Why it matters for travellers: the VTO isn't just chasing more arrivals into Port Vila. The push is to get people beyond Efate to islands like Espiritu Santo and Tanna, where smaller, locally owned eco-lodges and adventure operators offer a more immersive stay. Bringing those operators to Australia lets agents hear directly about logistics — including the domestic flights needed to hop between islands — so they can match the right travellers to the right product. The VTO's Vanuatu Uncovered campaign, which puts Ni-Vanuatu personalities and traditions front and centre, has already picked up an Australian Effie Gold and other marketing awards despite competing against far bigger budgets.
If you've done the Fiji-and-back thing and want a Pacific trip with more edge, Vanuatu's argument is worth hearing. Expect fewer mega-resorts and more community-run experiences — just factor in the island-hopping when you plan.
