VTO Free Fun Bus Continues into 2021

The Vanuatu Tourism Office’s popular Free Fun Bus service which was on hot demand over Christmas and New Year’s, will continue throughout 2021 as part of VTO’s ‘Sapotem Lokol Tourism’ campaign to encourage people to get out to rural areas and support tourism businesses.

CEO Mrs Adela Issachar Aru states, “Having recently launched the destination’s official “Sapotem Lokol Turisim” music video in December, 2020 including the Free Fun Bus billboards around Port Vila and Luganville, we want to encourage people to see our beautiful islands with fresh eyes and with no international tourists visiting us right now, we are the tourists – and there’s never been a better time to explore, enjoy, and be proud of our own country, our natural attractions and our adventurous activities and excursions!”

VTO has been running its domestic tourism marketing campaign on social media, TV and radio to showcase all of the wonderful offers from local tourism businesses for domestic tourists since May 2020.

“Last year has been a hard hit for the tourism industry here and around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing restriction at the border and impacting the arrival of international travelers to visit our beautiful shores,” Ms Lea Faccarello, Manager responsible for the Domestic tourism marketing program highlights.

“On the other hand it has tested our efforts and creativity to step outside the usual norm of work, and come up with strategies to quickly adapt and focus in our recovery plans to support business continuity for our local businesses. One of these strategies were to establish our Free Fun Bus to assist local residents on Efate and Santo to get out every weekend, explore, and help support our tourism businesses.”

“93% of Vanuatu’s tourism businesses are small, Ni-Vanuatu-owned businesses spread out through the country, so it is up to each of us to help local businesses to thrive and survive in these difficult times by spending disposable income to support these businesses”, CEO Aru emphasizes.

More information on the Free Fun Bus can be accessed on VTO’s Facebook page. To book, call 5146771

(Source: Vanuatu Daily Post 06 February 2021)