NEWS
Maritime Silk Road expo sees growth
Richard Butler | China Daily | Sept 26th 2017 The 2017 Guangdong 21st Century Maritime Silk Road International Expo, also known as the MSR Expo, held in Dongguan, Guangdong province, from Thursday to Sunday, attracted some 251,000 domestic and foreign participants....
China’s Millennials Are Driving World Travel Growth
Tourism boom helps rebalance economy to more consumer-led growth Post by Richard Butler | 24 September 2017 | Burgeoning wanderlust among young Chinese is becoming a key driver of global travel growth and helping reshape the domestic economy. "China, led by younger...
Longest Wharf in South Pacific in August 2017
Richard Butler | Daily Post | Aug 21st 2017 The Government of China, through the the Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu, officially handed the new main wharf at Luganville, Santo-the longest wharf in the South Pacific to the Vanuatu Government last Saturday. “Once they...
Vanuatu set to graduate from Least Developed Country status in 2020
Post by Richard Butler | 25 July 2017 Mark your diary: Vanuatu will cease to be a Least Developed Country (LDC) in 2020. DPM Joe Natuman is attending the World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s 2017 Aid for Trade Biennial Review in Geneva, Switzerland. He has attended some...
70% is a predicted increase in Chinese demand for foreign property in 2017
Richard Butler | July 24th 2017 I recently attended a high profile accountants Price Waterhouse Cooper's seminar in conjunction with real estate service comany Investorist who provided attendees with a detailed report on the comprehensive survey completed in March...
Top 10 dive spots in the world: Vanuatu is on the list!
Richard Butler | Financial Express | July 9th 2017 The SS President Coolidge off Santo, northern Vanuatu, was a World War II luxury ocean liner. It was commandeered by the US navy and fitted out as a naval ship. Unfortunately, it got sunk by one of America’s own...
Tallis Obed Moses sworn in as President of Vanuatu
Richard Butler | PMC Editor | July 7th 2017 Pastor Tallis Obed Moses has been sworn in as President of the Vanuatu Republic. Nineteen votes secured this victory, which was warmly acknowledged by all dignitaries and Electoral College people present at the ceremony...
Pacific Haven Resort Limited releases the First Scuba Academy in a Vanuatu Resort Site
Post by Richard Butler | 5 June 2017 | Pacific Haven Resort Limited, a Vanuatu investment promotion authority approved company, has now released waterfront bungalows for sale, selling off plan and complimented by the first scuba divers academy within a Vanuatu resort...
Vanuatu & China Celebrate 35 years of friendship
Post by Richard Butler | 19 March 2017 | 35 years of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Vanuatu and China, were celebrated at the new national convention centre with the Prime Minister and the Chinese Vanuatu Embassy Ambassador Liu Quan. The Ambassador in...
Vanuatu Government and World Bank to strengthen partnership
Post by Richard Butler extracted from Loop Pacific| 20th February 2017 | The government of Vanuatu and the World Bank have committed to strengthening their partnership, with the Bank set to establish a more significant presence in Port Vila. It will also boost its...
Vanuatu’s Torba province to ban Western junk food
Post by Richard Butler extracted from news.com.au| 7th February 2017 | THE next time you holiday in Vanuatu, don’t expect to see any M&Ms or Mars Bars in every hotel minibar. The Pacific nation’s northern Torba province is set to ban foreign junk food from...
Breaking news: Tanna nominated for Academy Award for best foreign language film
Post by Richard Butler | 25 January 2017 | In a first for film in Vanuatu and the Pacific islands region, The film Tanna, shot on location in Vanuatu using a local, untrained cast of actors, has been officially nominated for an Oscar for best foreign language film by...
Vanuatu province of Torba first to be declared organic
Post by Richard Butler | 24 January 2017 | TORBA Province – often described as the ‘forgotten province’ – is now the first to be declared ‘Organic Province’ by its provincial tourism council. The chairman of the TORBA Tourism Council, the former Head of State, Father...
When in Port Vila… get out of town
Post by Richard Butler | 15 January 2017 | GET out of Port Vila and experience a tour that highlights the true untouched spirit of Vanuatu in the new Turtle Reef glass bottom boat cruise. That is the credo from the owner of Turtle Reef cruises, Chrissy Boland, who is...
French chocolatier buys Vanuatu cocoa plantation
Post by Richard Butler | 2 January 2017 | A French chocolate company in New Caledonia has taken over a Vanuatu cocoa plantation to produce organic chocolate. The company Biscochoc will take over management of the 500 hectare (5 square kilometers) plantation in January...
Easier travel between Vanuatu and Russia as visa waiver agreement comes into effect
Richard Butler | Vanuatu Digest | Nov 1st 2016 Citizens of Vanuatu and Russia no longer require a visa to enter each other’s countries, as a new visa waiver agreement between the two countries has now come into effect. The Governments of Vanuatu and Russia signed an...
2016.09.11 – I’m Ba-a-ack!
Richard brings us up to date (don't miss this short podcast) Today marks the re-launch of the "Lifestyles and Real Estate of the South Pacific" podcast. We know, it's been a long time, and with good reason. All is explained in this short episode. Listen or download...
Visit from Australian Politician Bodes Well for Investors in Agriculture
Post by: Richard Butler | 18 August 2016 | The visit of Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Australia’s Minister for International Development and Pacific to Vanuatu for three days has been very successful as she saw for herself the development of Vanuatu with the...
Maritime Silk Road Expo promotion has been launched in Vanuatu under China’s “1 Belt 1 Road” concept.
Post by Richard Butler | 8 August 2016 |
Port Vila Wharf Capacity increased to two Cruise Ships
Post by Richard Butler | 9 August 2016 | The Director of South Seas Shipping, Mr John Tonner today revealed that the Cruise Tourism Committee has successfully completed its Traffic Management Plan for the wharf area and it plans to make it available from the next...
Maritime Silk Road Expo promotion launched in Port Vila
Post by: Richard Butler | 8 August 2016 | * Richard Butler, travelling with Deputy Mayor Yang Xiaotang of the Chinese Powerhouse first tier City of Dongguan in southern China and currently on a road show in the South Pacific including Australia, New Zealand and the...