International Visitors & Resident Arrivals (IVA)

1. March 2026 highlights

• Total arrivals by air in March 2026 stood at 9,455.

• Residents arrival makes up 25% and visitor arrivals make up 75% of the total arrivals by air.

• Holiday visitors represent 71% of all visitor arrivals by air.

• Visitors residing in Australia recorded the highestpercent at 58% of all air arrivals.

• The average length of stay for visitors is 11 days.

• The average age of visitors is 43 years old.

• Total departures stood at 10,036 in March 2026.

  Residents represent 35% and visitors represent 65% of all departure.

2. Overview

• The total number of international Visitor arrivals by air stood at 7,127, which is an increase of 35% or 1,863 visitors compared to the same month in the previous year. Visitor arrivals by air increased by 41% over the previous month.

• Vanuatu welcomed 10 cruise ships in March 2026 carrying a total of 28,400-day visitors, constituting 80% of the total visitors during that month.

3. Purpose of Visit

Holiday visitors made up 71% of all international visitor arrivals to Vanuatu; followed by Business meetings and conferences at 7%, Visiting Friends and relatives at 6%, Stop over at less than 1% and Others, Education and Sports at 16%.

4. Country of usual residence (for visitors arriving by air)

• Australian visitors accounted for 58% of all international visitors by air followed by Europe at 11%, Other Pacific Countries at 8%, China and New Zealand at 7% each, Other Countries at 5%, North America at 3%, Japan at 2% and New Caledonia at 1%.

5. Average intended length of stay (for visitors arriving by air)

• International visitors by air in Port Vila spent an average of 11 days.

6. Average age of Visitors (for visitors arriving by Air)

• The average age for visitors travelling by air is 43 years old..
• This represents 37% of all visitors arriving in Vanuatu within the age group of 30 - 49 years old and 39% within the age group of 50+ years old..

Data Source and Revisions

All International arrival by air provided in this report is sourced from the passenger processing modules within ASYCUDA world system from the Department of Customs and the Migration Information Data Analysis System (MIDAS) from the department of immigration through International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Cruiseship figures are also supplied by the Department of Customs through the passenger processing module.

The Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics is releasing monthly provisional international visitors arrivals highlighted in the tables from January 2019 onwards. This will allow for anomalies and consistency checks with the department of Customs and Inland Revenue (DCIR) and Immigration Department before release of actual figures in Quarterly or Annual Statistical Indicator Report.