Tuesdday 29 August 2023, Port Vila, Vanuatu: The South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) has Partnered with Mastercard to enhance consumer demand and Tourist travel insights aimed at providing member countries with valuable data and information into the revival of global travel and its impact on the recovery of tourism in the Pacific region. Last week, Mastercard and the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) were pleased to present their Tourism Insights for Quarter 1 of 2023 as part of the collaboration and partnership.

Mastercard has released its highly anticipated Tourism Insights Report for Q1 2023, offering an overview of crucial tourism trends shaping the Pacific Islands’ landscape. This report provides insights into travel demand, air connectivity, tourism behaviour, accommodation preferences, and spending patterns.

These insights were presented to tourism industry leaders, professionals and stakeholders in a collaborative presentation by the Vanuatu Tourism Office and Mastercard at the Holiday Inn on August 24, 2023.

During the presentation, tourism industry professionals and stakeholders learned about the key findings from the Tourism Insights report offering valuable information on the demand for Vanuatu post-covid for holiday travel purposes.

The key findings from the report reveal that leisure and business travel are experiencing a 33% growth compared to the same period in 2019. By the end of March 2023, there is a 42% year-on-year increase in travel, showing a strong recovery from 2022 to 2023. Notably, spending on tourism experiences has surged by 65% compared to 2019 as of March 2023, reflecting a heightened interest in exploring the Pacific region.

The report also highlights the increased flight capacity to Vanuatu, with 61,450 available seats in Q1 2023. The satisfaction index for Pacific Islands products stands at 81%, while Vanuatu’s is at 71%, indicating an opportunity to enhance product offerings. Regarding accommodation satisfaction, both Vanuatu and the Pacific Islands score favourably, 61% and 60% respectively.

Mastercard reporting of visitor spend is only measured from the tracking of spending using Mastercard as the tool for the purchase of holidays in the destination. Therefore it does not measure any cash spent directly but only measures cash that is withdrawn to be spent within the destination.

Tourism spending patterns were unveiled, showcasing that in January, 55% of expenses were directed towards accommodation in Vanuatu, compared to 51% in the broader Pacific Islands. Similarly, 5.5% of spending was allocated to restaurants in Vanuatu, while the Pacific Islands averaged 8%.

In a statement by the VTO’s Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Adela Issachar Aru, “The partnership between the South Pacific Tourism Organisation and Mastercard is an exciting one which aims to shed light on evolving tourism trends, providing actionable insights for the benefit of the Pacific Islands, including Vanuatu. A deeper understanding of consumer behaviour and method of payment for any holiday purchased needs further research to guide input into policies such as digital and e-commerce platforms for capturing visitor spending in the future, therefore the Q1 report is important to note its results”

Warren Gama, Business Intelligence Manager of VTO, said, “The VTO has broadened its data set with access to critical insights and data provided by Mastercard. The Mastercard platform used by the team offers live data and insights on visitor spend and behaviour for Vanuatu. This information will then be repackaged and becomes a useful business tool for the Tourism Industry and Stakeholders to use.”
All queries on data and insights are encouraged to reach out to the Business Intelligence Program of the VTO.