Pacific tourism operators are outperforming the wider Pacific export sector, with nearly half reporting higher revenue over the past year, according to a report released by Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Australia and the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO).
The Pacific Islands Export Survey 2026 – Tourism Industry Spotlight finds 47 per cent of Pacific tourism operators saw revenue increase in the past year. Sentiment about future growth, however, remains cautious and sits below the Pacific average, the two organisations said.
Limited international air connectivity is listed as the sector's leading barrier at 44 per cent, ahead of operating costs and finance. The report points to the importance of reliable aviation links in supporting tourism-led economic growth across the region.
Asked what support they want, operators put help with marketing their own business first at 50 per cent, followed by better marketing of the Pacific Islands as a destination at 44 per cent.
The report also records strong use of digital sales channels, with 95 per cent of operators reporting sales online and social media accounting for most of that activity.
The findings were released alongside a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations, signed at the SPTO board meeting in Honiara, which sets out their commitment to work together on the opportunities and challenges the report identifies.
PTI Australia Trade Commissioner Tim Martin said the findings show both the strength of the sector and where more support is needed.
"The report shows Pacific tourism operators are among the region's most internationally connected exporters. They're reaching customers through digital channels and generating revenue from markets that many other sectors are still working to access," Martin said.
Limited flight connectivity and the need for greater marketing support continue to hold back growth, Martin said, adding that tourism is one of the region's most valuable export sectors and that the findings will help guide the priorities of PTI Australia and SPTO under the new partnership.
SPTO Chief Executive Officer Christopher Cocker said tourism remains one of the Pacific's most important export industries and that access to timely and reliable industry data has become more important as economic conditions and consumer preferences shift. The insights would inform regional tourism planning, policy discussions and industry work, including activities the two organisations take on under the MOU, he said.
The PTI Network's Pacific Islands Export Survey 2026 series is being released in stages, with the main report and a highlights report already out. The series includes spotlight reports on tourism, agriculture and manufacturing, as well as country reports on Vanuatu and Fiji.
PTI Australia, founded in 1979, is an agency of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and is funded by the Australian Government. SPTO, established in 1983 as the Tourism Council of the South Pacific, is the regional organisation mandated to support tourism marketing and development in the Pacific.