Vanuatu is charting a bold course for its adventure tourism future.
Over the past several weeks, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) partnered with the Vanuatu Department of Tourism to deliver a multi-island AdventurePRO reconnaissance mission and AdventureEDU training program designed to strengthen capacity, assess on-the-ground potential, and support the country’s National Adventure Tourism Strategy.
The initiative combined field assessments in Malekula and Ambrym with three days of collaborative workshops in Santo, bringing together more than 40 local guides, tour operators, accommodation providers, tourism officers from all six provinces, and representatives from both the private and public sectors.
Together, participants explored global adventure travel trends, international safety standards, sustainable product development, and community-centered tourism planning, laying the groundwork for long-term, locally rooted growth.
From Reconnaissance to Roadmap
The program began with an AdventurePRO reconnaissance itinerary in Malekula, led by ATTA trainers and international adventure experts Russell Walters and Matt Capper, alongside Department of Tourism officers. The multi-island mission focused on evaluating adventure tourism assets, identifying development opportunities, and engaging local stakeholders in shaping the sector’s future.
On Malekula Island, the team trekked the remote Dog’s Head Trail, assessing both its experiential value and operational considerations. They then traveled to Ambrym, completing the island’s demanding two-day volcano hike, a physically rigorous and logistically complex experience that underscores Vanuatu’s raw adventure appeal.
Inter-island ferry crossings, overnight stays in local villages, visits to hot springs and waterfalls, and river floats offered additional insight into the visitor experience and infrastructure realities.
The fieldwork culminated in Santo, where reconnaissance findings informed a three-day AdventureEDU workshop designed to translate assessment into action.
Building Skills, Strengthening Standards
The Santo training brought together more than 40 participants for dynamic, participatory sessions focused on three key pillars:
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Global Trends & Insights: Understanding evolving traveler expectations and positioning Vanuatu competitively in the global adventure market.
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Standards & Safety: Aligning with international best practices and ISO standards to enhance operational readiness, risk management, and sustainability.
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Community Building: Strengthening collaboration, local ownership, and long-term development strategies to ensure tourism growth benefits communities across all six provinces.
Tourism officers from across the country deepened their knowledge of adventure tourism assessment methodologies, product development frameworks, and sustainable management practices. The emphasis throughout was practical: improving quality, enhancing safety, and building confidence among operators while protecting the cultural and environmental assets that define Vanuatu’s appeal.
The workshops marked the culmination of the broader destination assessment and served as a critical step toward aligning national and provincial stakeholders around a shared strategy.
Culture at the Core
Throughout the mission, one theme stood out: preservation.
“Vanuatu is raw, complex, and beautiful,” said Walters. “The people have a deep connection to their culture and their land, and they are proud to share it with visitors. Throughout the workshops, it was clear that their priorities are firmly rooted in preserving customs, traditions, and protecting their land and traditional ways of life.”
That commitment to cultural integrity and environmental stewardship is central to Vanuatu AdventurePRO 2025, the framework guiding this work. Rather than pursuing rapid expansion, stakeholders are focused on building capacity first - strengthening skills, aligning standards, and ensuring tourism development supports communities.
A final debrief in Port Vila brought together key stakeholders to review reconnaissance findings and outline next steps for the National Adventure Tourism Strategy. The mission concluded with a clear message: Vanuatu has extraordinary adventure assets, but its greatest strength lies in its people and their commitment to stewarding their land and culture.
A Destination with Depth
From remote jungle trails and active volcanoes to small-island village life and freshwater river floats, Vanuatu offers an adventure landscape that is both dramatic and deeply human.
But as this initiative demonstrates, building a world-class adventure destination requires more than natural beauty. It requires collaboration across provinces, investment in training, alignment with international standards, and a shared vision for sustainable growth.
With AdventurePRO reconnaissance complete and AdventureEDU training successfully delivered, Vanuatu has taken a meaningful step forward - strengthening its foundation today to shape a resilient and community-driven adventure tourism sector for tomorrow.
And as those who walked its trails and climbed its volcanoes can attest: Vanuatu truly has it all.