A second weekly flight between Brisbane and Santo is expected to boost tourism in Vanuatu.

Following a rapid assessment conducted after the 7.2 earthquake last week, it was found that many tourism operators and businesses in Sanma Province were not affected. This has allowed plans to improve flights and connectivity, including the second weekly Brisbane–Santo service, to move ahead.

Sanma Province welcomed the second flight over the past weekend. The new service strengthens connectivity between Australia and Vanuatu’s largest island, while also making it easier for travelers to experience the natural beauty, adventure tourism, and rich cultural heritage of Espiritu Santo.

CEO of the Vanuatu Tourism Office, Adela Aru, said the new direct service demonstrates Solomon Airlines’ strong commitment to supporting tourism and economic growth in Vanuatu.

“We want to boost more visitor numbers into Santo as one of the key tourism destinations in Vanuatu. Santo is the second town, and under the government policy corridor we aim to see more development in Santo as a destination for tourism and agricultural investment for export. Solomon Airlines, as a key partner in tourism, has commenced its flights.”

She also said that as improvements in connectivity continue, there is a strong need for increased promotion and marketing in Australia to attract more tourists to Vanuatu.

“We have a lot of fantastic tourism operators and hotels, and the government is improving roads in East and South Santo. Once this is developed, tourism will be spread further.”

At the same time, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the CEO of Solomon Airlines and the CEO of the Vanuatu Tourism Office. The three-year partnership will help promote Vanuatu in Australia and New Zealand, with support from Solomon Airlines to strengthen marketing in these key markets.