International Visitors & Resident Arrivals (IVA)

1. January 2026 highlights

• Total arrivals by air in January 2026 stood at 12,113.

• Residents arrival makes up 20% and visitor arrivals make up 80% of the total arrivals by air.

• Holiday visitors represent 77% of all visitor arrivals by air.

• Visitors residing in Australia recorded the highest percent at 63% of all air arrivals.

• The average length of stay for visitors is 10 days.

• The average age of visitors is 36 years old.

• Total departures stood at 14,882 in January 2026. Residents represent 18% of all departure and visitors departure with 82%.

2. Overview

• The total number of international Visitor arrivals by air stood at 9,657, which is an increase of 44% or 1,359 visitors compared to the same month in the previous year. Visitor arrivals by air also increased by 16% over the previous month.

• Vanuatu welcomed 11 cruise ships in January 2026 carrying a total of 36,017 day visitors, constituting 79% of the total visitors during that month.

3. Purpose of Visit

Holiday visitors made up 77% of all international visitor arrivals to Vanuatu; followed by Visiting Friends and relatives at 6%, Business meetings and conferences at 3%, Stop over at less than 1% and Others, Education and Sports at 13%.

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

• Australian visitors accounted for 63% of all international visitors by air followed by Europe at 12%, Other Pacific Countries at 6%, New Zealand and China at 4% each, New Caledonia and North America at 3% each, Japan at 1% and Other Countries at 5%..

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

• International visitors by air in Port Vila spent an average of 10 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 34% of all visitors arriving in Vanuatu within the age group of 30 - 49 years old and 27% 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.