International Visitors & Resident Arrivals (IVA)

1. December 2025 highlights

• Total arrivals by air in December 2025 stood at 11,189.

• Residents arrival makes up 26% and visitor arrivals make up 74% of the total arrivals by air.

• Holiday visitors represent 85% of all visitor arrivals by air.

• Visitors residing in Australia recorded the highest percent at 67% of all air arrivals.

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

• The average age of visitors is 36 years old.

• Total departures stood at 8,284 in December 2025. Residents represent 20% of all departure and visitors departure with 80%.

2. Overview

• The total number of international Visitor arrivals by air stood at 8,298, which is an increase of 31% or 1,954 visitors compared to the same month in the previous year. However, visitor arrivals by air decreased by 2% over the previous month.

• Vanuatu welcomed 8 cruise ships in December 2025 carrying a total of 23,254 day visitors, constituting 74% of the total visitors during that month.

3. Purpose of Visit

Holiday visitors made up 85% of all international visitor arrivals to Vanuatu; followed by Visiting Friends and relatives at 7%, Stop over and Business meetings and conferences at 1% each, and Others, Education and Sports at 6%.

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

• Australian visitors accounted for 67% of all international visitors by air followed by Europe at 11%, New Zealand at 5%, Other Pacific Countries and China at 4% each, New Caledonia at 3%, North America at 2%, Japan at 1% and Other Countries at 4%.

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 36 years old..
• This represents 37% of all visitors arriving to Vanuatu within the age group of 30 - 49 years old andalso 23% 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.