Tourism assessment finds 81% of businesses still building market readiness

July 20, 2026 10:30 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

Vanuatu’s first national tourism market readiness assessment has found that more than four out of five tourism businesses assessed are still working towards becoming fully ready to compete in regional and international markets, guiding the next phase of targeted training and mentoring support.

The assessment was completed under the Tourism Market Readiness Pathway Project, a Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) initiative funded by the Australian Government through the Economic Support Program (ESP) to help tourism businesses build the skills, systems and market connections needed to grow.

Of the 292 tourism businesses identified across the six provinces of SHEFA, SANMA, PENAMA, MALAMPA, TAFEA and TORBA, 245 have now been assessed against the Tourism Market Readiness Framework, giving VTO its first national baseline of the sector’s competitiveness and export readiness.

The results show that 43% of assessed businesses are at the Namalau Category, the foundation level where businesses meet basic tourism standards but are not yet positioned to compete internationally.

A further 38% are at the Navara Category, the growth stage where businesses are developing the systems and partnerships needed to expand into regional and international markets.

Meanwhile, 19% have reached the Nabanga Category, the highest level, meaning they are recognised for strong commercial operations, industry leadership and are trading confidently with international travel wholesalers and trade partners.

Overall, 81% of assessed businesses remain on the pathway towards full market readiness, showing both the sector’s growth potential and the areas where further support is needed.

The remaining 47 businesses yet to be assessed will be brought into the programme as the initiative continues.

VTO Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Adela Issachar Aru said the results provide the first evidence-based picture of how ready Vanuatu’s tourism industry is to compete internationally.

“This assessment gives us, for the first time, an evidence-based picture of exactly how ready our tourism industry is to compete on the world stage. What it tells us is encouraging: we have a strong foundation and a growing number of businesses already trading confidently with international partners,” CEO Aru said.

“Our task now is to help the majority of our operators who are still building towards that level, making the journey to becoming market-ready businesses that can confidently connect with all markets.”

Market readiness varies across the country, with provincial results showing where the sector is strongest and where the greatest opportunities for growth remain.

SHEFA and SANMA Provinces are currently leading, with 36% and 29% respectively of assessed businesses already reaching Nabanga, or Market Ready, status.

This reflects their more established tourism infrastructure and higher visitor numbers.

TAFEA and TORBA Provinces show strong momentum at the Navara, or growth, stage, with 63% and 68% of their assessed businesses respectively positioned to progress towards full market readiness.

MALAMPA and PENAMA Provinces remain largely focused on foundation-building, with 76% and 73% respectively of assessed businesses at Namalau.

These provinces will be key areas for Phase 2 training and mentoring support aimed at improving competitiveness and supporting more balanced growth across the country.

Project Coordinator Martin David said the provincial results would directly shape how training and mentoring resources are allocated.

“No two provinces are starting from the same place, and Phase 2 has to reflect that. In SHEFA and SANMA, our focus is on helping already-strong businesses refine their trade relationships and push into new international markets,” Coordinator David said.

“In provinces like MALAMPA and PENAMA, we are starting further back by building the core systems and skills operators need before they can begin competing regionally. This is about meeting each business, and each province, where it is.”

With the national baseline established, the project will now move into Phase 2, focused on training and mentoring to help businesses progress along the pathway towards Nabanga, or Market Ready, status.

Training programmes will be tailored according to each business’s classification and will cover digital capability, pricing and packaging, online booking systems, trade linkages, customer experience, tourism marketing and sales, international market access, business-to-business engagement and agreement support.

For Namalau businesses, the focus will be on building the foundational systems needed to move into growth. For Navara businesses, support will focus on strengthening trade relationships and market presence to reach full Market Ready status.

David said the ultimate goal of Phase 2 was to shift the sector towards greater market readiness across the country.

“Right now, four out of five businesses we have assessed are still on the pathway. Our success in Phase 2 will be measured by how many of those businesses move up to Nabanga status over the coming training cycles,” David said.

“That is what will make Vanuatu’s tourism industry genuinely market-ready, not just in a few pockets, but across the whole country.”

A tourism market readiness certification system will also be introduced to formally recognise businesses as they progress through the pathway towards becoming market-ready tourism operators.

The VTO acknowledged the support of the Australian Government, the Department of Tourism, the Vanuatu Skills Partnership, the Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics, Provincial Governments, Area Councils, tourism industry associations and tourism operators whose collaboration has supported the initiative and is helping build a stronger, more competitive and sustainable tourism industry that supports economic growth and positions Vanuatu for long-term success in international tourism markets.