Lonely Planet Chooses Vanuatu As Top 10 Global Countries to Visit in 2025

Wednesday, 23rd October 2024 – Port-Vila, Vanuatu: The Lonely Planet, which is one of the leading travel authorities in the world, has chosen Vanuatu as one of the Top 10 Global Countries to visit in 2025. The Lonely Planet company was founded over 50 years ago in 1973 and is famous for publishing guidebooks that have assisted millions of travelers to explore most countries in the world. They are a world-renowned brand and expert on travel.

Nowadays the Lonely Planet is using its reputation to guide travelers on what is ‘the best’ and Vanuatu has made this list as one of the 10 best places to travel to in the world in 2025. This announcement will be supported by the global launch of the Lonely Travel’s Best in Travel 2025 book sold in bookstores around the world, and supported with a host of online and digital marketing that will be shared globally.

This is a prestigious recommendation for Vanuatu as this list includes destinations from around the world including our neighbors in Fiji, Laos and Paraguay, and we are amongst those selected in the top 10.

“It is only fitting that Vanuatu be recognized in such a prestigious list. We have always known what a special place Vanuatu is and now the rest of the world does. We should rightly be proud of being included in this list of best countries to travel in 2025. Congratulations to all in the tourism industry for the experiences you provide.” stated Minister of Trade and Commerce Hon. Samson Samsen (MP)

Vanuatu Tourism Office CEO, Ms. Adela Issachar Aru said, “We are so excited to receive this news from Lonely Planet. We have always known why Vanuatu is a special holiday spot. Lonely Planet travelers are, by nature, looking to get off the beaten track, looking for an adventure, or looking for a more exciting way to relax. They want to meet and talk to people when they travel and make a connection with a country and see how its people live. They turn to the Lonely Planet Guides for recommendations and holiday ideas.”

“Whether you are in Port Vila, Gaua, South West Bay, Tanna, Ambae, Pentecost or anywhere else in Vanuatu, this recognition is for you! It is for all those people who run events, guest houses, tours, sell handicrafts or show people around the amazing country that is Vanuatu. It is for all those people who stop and have TOKTOK, storian or a laugh with a visitor. This announcement is something to make us all proud,” Ms. Issachar Aru said.

“We have worked so hard for many years to achieve standards and develop our businesses and skills and being chosen in the top 10 in 2025 is an amazing boost to our community moral and progress. We are just so happy about this and look forward to welcoming more visitors,” says Charlie John from Top Rock the Lookout at North Efate.

The Vanuatu Tourism Office will be undertaking a marketing campaign with Lonely Planet to reach as many people as possible with this announcement. We also encourage all our tourism operators to share the news. We have produced a selection of marketing tools for everyone in Vanuatu to use.

“Vanuatu offers not only some of the friendliest people in the world and an incredible mixture of local kastom and tradition, but also experiences such as standing on the edge of an active volcanoes, diving into spectacular blue holes, and enjoying stunning Champagne Beach. Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 Islands, 6 Provinces offering different experiences and is only 3 hours from Sydney and Auckland.” shares Chris Zeiher, Lonely Planet’s Senior Director of Trade Sales and Marketing.

“While mindful of our responsibilities and impact as travelers, we’re proud of the destinations, journeys and experiences featured here, and are excited to share the local expertise and insight at the heart of these recommendations.” said Nitya Chambers, Lonely Planet’s Senior Vice President, Content and Executive Editor. “Wherever you are in the world, we’re confident Best in Travel brings fresh inspiration and recognition for the year ahead.”

In case you are thinking how were the Best in Travel destinations selected? Each year, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel starts with nominations from Lonely Planet’s vast community of staff, contributors from around the world, publishing partners, and more. This year, our panel of experts curated 30 must-see places across countries, cities and regions – and included ten travel trends they are excited about. Each inclusion is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences, ‘wow’ factor and its ongoing commitment to sustainability, community and diversity.

Lonely Planet reaches hundreds of millions of travelers each year online and across social channels helping them unlock amazing experiences. Lonely Planet can be found on lonelyplanet.com, mobile, video, social media, and in 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks and more.