Vanuatu Tourism Office is taking Australians inside real stories told by the Ni-Vanuatu people who celebrate this living culture every day.
This week it has launched its latest consumer marketing campaign ‘Vanuatu Uncovered’.
The campaign sits under the destination’s Answer the Call of Vanuatu brand, which launched in 2019 and spotlights Vanuatu’s ‘life-changing adventure’ offering.
This latest chapter, a content series, turns the lens on the Ni-Vanuatu people themselves, capturing customs, sounds and traditions as they’re lived day to day, rather than presented for visitors.
“In Vanuatu we have incredible unbroken cultural traditions that are unique to Vanuatu, passed from generation to generation such as water music and elaborate sand drawing,” Vanuatu Tourism Office CEO Adela Issachar Aru said.
“Across our 83 islands you can experience so much from standing beside the fire and thunder of Mount Yasur volcano or witnessing the ocean become an orchestra as our women and girls share tales with their water music. We know our culture is one of the richest remaining on earth and with this latest campaign we hope to give you a taste of it and invite you to Answer the Call of Vanuatu.
“Travelling to Vanuatu is an enriching experience and we hope the stories we are sharing give you a sense of what it’s like to walk alongside us. We are just three hours flight from Australia but we invite you to discover so much.”
Filmed across Efate, Espiritu Santo and Tanna, the campaign unfolds across five episodes, each one built around a story VTO says most Australians have never had the chance to see:
The Water Music: at Riri Blue Hole in Espiritu Santo, women perform the ancient art of water music, slapping and splashing the surface of the water to create rhythm and song passed down through generations.
The Living Mountain: on Tanna, Philip stands at the edge of one of the world’s most accessible active volcanoes, the fiery Mount Yasur, connecting with his ‘university’, a peak that has given him wisdom and remains sacred to local communities.
The Sound of Community: in Espiritu Santo’s Ransuck Cultural Village, daily life, kastom and connection play out much as they have for generations, maintaining a connection to their ancestors.
One Tree, One Canoe: in Port Olry, Sandy’s canoe is carved from a single tree trunk, a tradition that speaks to patience, skill and a deep relationship with nature and the land.
Our Living Culture: in Port Vila, mesmerising sand drawing and basket weaving reveal storytelling traditions preserved over the years and still taught and practised across Efate today.
The campaign goes live from and will roll out across social channels, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, supported by owned content on Vanuatu Tourism Office’s website, social channels and EDMs, estimated to reach seven million Australians.
