Visitor arrivals for November drop

The number of visitor arrivals

and the number of cruise ships that visited Vanuatu both fell in November, 2014 compared to the same month in 2013, according to the latest Vanuatu National Statistic Office’s November 2014 Highlights focusing on international visitor arrivals.

International visitor arrivals by air in November 2014 accounted for 44% of total international visitor arrivals to Vanuatu.

In November 2014, visitor arrivals by air totaled 7,996 visitors, falling by 2% over November 2013 and also falling by 24% over October 2014. The fall was reflected by the decline in visitors arriving for holiday purposes.

Cruise ship or day visitors made up 56% of total international arrivals in November 2014. Day visitors totaled 10,312 visitors, a decline of 48% over November 2013, also falling by 36% over October 2014. The decline was attributed by the fall in number of cruise ships from 9 in November 2013 to 5 cruise ships in November 2014.

In November 2014, visitors arriving for holiday purposes accounted for 73% of visitors by air. Visitors arriving for business, meetings or conferences make up 10%, followed by visitors arriving for other, education or sports make up 8%, those visiting friends and relatives at 7% and visitors on transit at 2%.

Australian visitors continue to dominate visitor arrivals by air to Vanuatu at 52%, followed by New Caledonia at 13%, New Zealand at 12%, other Pacific countries at 11%, Europe at 7%, other countries at 3%, North America at 2% and Japan at 1%.