Vanuatu tourism shows signs of "great recovery"

Tourism in Vanuatu is on the mend after the devastation of Cyclone Pam, with visitor numbers over the past few months back to pre-cyclone levels.

The Vanuatu Tourist Rep for New Zealand says the past year has been difficult, with visitor numbers from New Zealand down 20 percent overall for 2014.

But, Tourist Rep, Jacquie Carson, says there's nothing still damaged or closed from Cyclone Pam, and more visitors are heading out to the island of Espiritu Santo.

"Which is our Northern island and this island is sort of coming about as far as tourism because it wasn't actually affected at all during Cyclone Pam. This is our beautiful island with stunning white beaches and gorgeous natural blue swimming holes and there's lots of little small boutique resorts there and that has really seen a great increase in visitor numbers."

Mrs Carson says this trend has emerged over the last 12 months from New Zealand.

She says Vanuatu is showing early signs of a great recovery and this year they're expecting a ten percent increase in visitor numbers from 2014.