Assessment of the Economic Impact of Cruise Ships to Vanuatu

The World Bank Group, DFAT-Australia,
and Carnival Australia have partnered to conduct this study
of the economic impact of cruise ship tourism in Vanuatu.
Data gathering and analysis for this study was carried out
by Net Balance Management Group. Over the past 10 years,
Vanuatu’s cruise arrivals have grown by 15 percent per year.
Cruising to Vanuatu has been buoyed by an advantageous
location within a few days’ sail of Australia, a varied
destination offering centered on Port Vila, and consistently
positive passenger feedback. In 2013, more than 240,000
people arrived in Vanuatu by cruise ship. This translates
into 490,000 passenger days. The goal of this study is to
quantify the economic impacts of cruising, and to provide
data on the cruise sector’s effect on economic activity. The
study then identifies a set of investment opportunities that
can help to increase the economic benefits of cruise tourism
in Vanuatu. This report therefore seeks to provide a
platform that can be used by government, the private sector
and donor partners to support further strategic, targeted
development of cruising. Data on tourism, and by extension
on cruise tourism, is not readily available in Vanuatu. This
report is an attempt to capture initial economic information
about the cruise industry and to provide a point of
departure for additional research into the economic, social
and environmental impacts of the cruise sector.