The Vanuatu Tourism Office and Tourism Solomons Office have completed their second online refresher training for 2026 under the Pacific Tourism Data Initiative, a regional programme aimed at strengthening tourism data capabilities across Pacific Island countries.
Delivered in partnership with the Pacific Tourism Organisation, the week-long training held from February 23 to 27 focused on enhancing technical expertise in tourism data analysis, statistical interpretation and report compilation. Participants were trained in analytical tools including SPSS, Excel and NVivo.
The virtual sessions, conducted via Zoom and Microsoft Teams, aimed to build in-country capacity to produce International Visitor Survey reports, supporting evidence-based tourism planning and policymaking.
Key analytical areas covered included visitor origin and top source markets, purpose of travel and group size, airlines used, destinations visited, average length of stay, accommodation preferences and satisfaction, as well as trip planning and repeat visitation, including cruise travel.
Participants also undertook practical exercises on frequency analysis, data weighting techniques and reconciliation with National Statistics Office visitor arrival data to ensure outputs are statistically robust and aligned with international standards.
The Vanuatu Tourism Office and Tourism Solomons Office are among 10 Pacific Island participants in the initiative, alongside the Cook Islands, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Niue, Samoa, Timor-Leste and the Federated States of Micronesia (Yap).
Funded by the New Zealand government, the initiative comprises three core surveys: the biannual International Visitor Survey, the annual Business Confidence Index and the annual Community Attitude Survey, all designed to support data-driven tourism development in the region.
Participants said the training’s practical approach improved their understanding of analytical processes, particularly in applying weighting methodologies and aligning survey data with official visitor statistics. Both offices are working towards completing up to 70% of their January to December 2025 International Visitor Survey reports.
Pacific Tourism Organisation Chief Executive Officer Christopher Cocker said the collaborative format enabled participants to share experiences, compare methodologies and collectively address challenges.
He said the training supports the initiative’s long-term goal of strengthening national tourism offices’ capacity to independently analyse data and produce reports, helping lay the groundwork for more robust, evidence-based tourism planning across the Pacific.
