Vanuatu’s annual two-day travel industry event, Tok Tok, has welcomed 50 buyers across seven countries, including Australia, to discover the South Pacific Island’s latest and greatest offerings.
Now in its 16th year, Tok Tok, is showcasing 53 local sellers – including eight new operators – across a range of boutique and mid-level accommodation offerings, fresh touring options and locally owned products, all available for face-to-face meetings. An anticipated 1,600 individual appointments are set to take place across the course of the event.
The Vanuatu Tourism Office Chief Executive Officer, Adela Issachar Aru, said Vanuatu’s annual Tok Tok has become a leading event in the South Pacific region and is an important and influential platform to strengthen existing connections and build new ones:
“Being less than 3.5 hours flight from Sydney and 2.5 hours from Brisbane, there is a huge opportunity to attract more Australian travellers. At Tok Tok we will have 53 sellers from all provinces of Vanuatu on hand to showcase the already much-loved hotspots, but also shine a light on Vanuatu’s breathtaking untouched side as well. Vanuatu’s 83 islands have so much to offer Australians: authentic culture, pristine natural surrounds and some of the most incredible soft adventure experiences.”
“The Vanuatu Tourism Office has been busy actively promoting in the Australian market and we are seeing some great results off the back of our efforts. Visitors from Australia to Vanuatu were up 14.7 percent in 2017 compared to 2016, and in the first five months of 2018 we have seen a further 8.2 percent increase. We are also seeing more visitors, around 25 percent, venturing further afield to the outer islands of Vanuatu which offer a whole new range of exciting natural and cultural adventures.”
Tok Tok will officially launch on the morning of Thursday 30 August followed by a buyers’ function, featuring live local entertainment at the beautiful Port Vila Seafront Precinct. The event will round-out with a spectacular Gala dinner tomorrow evening (Friday 31 August) at this year’s host venue, Warwick Le Lagon.
Pre-famils also coincided with the event, providing the opportunity for wholesalers to experience Vanuatu’s distinct offerings firsthand, including swimming in the breathtaking natural blue holes on Espiritu Santo and a once-in-a-lifetime experience on Tanna Island’s Mt Yasur – one of the world’s most accessible volcanoes. Attendees were also treated to exclusive site visits through Vanuatu’s newest boutique accommodation offerings, Rockwater Resort and Black Pearl Resort, located on Tanna and Espiritu Santo respectively.
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