Tourism numbers rise by 94% as adventurous travellers head to Nauru

Tourism numbers rise by 94% as adventurous travellers head to Nauru

As post pandemic travel continues to soar around the world and travel trends show greater demand for outdoors and experiential travel, Nauru is experiencing a dramatic increase in tourist numbers.

“Research shows that now more than ever, tourists are looking for off-the -beaten-track destinations and Nauru definitely fits that category of Tourism,” said Cramer Cain, Tourism Attaché, Nauru Tourism Office.

“Already to date, our 2024 total tourist numbers are an approximately 94% on 2023,” he said.

“Traveller curiosity about our country has never been higher, mostly due to ‘word of mouth’ marketing as we take a very personal approach to answering every inquiry we receive and to promoting awareness via storytelling and our website.

“We are seeing biggest increases in adventurous Baby boomers and Bucket-listers, with most visitors coming from Europe, North America and Australia, however we expect to also see younger Gen X and Millennial visitors over time, especially adventure travellers.

“Our Nauru Tourism team are receiving a marked increase in enquiries requesting information about visa requirements, accommodation, flights, culture, history and activities in Nauru. 

“New travellers are also reaching out to past visitors with the assistance of Nauru Tourism through our website and email communication. Gradually we are creating a community of travellers who have visited Nauru often and those who are keen to visit for the first time.

“The work of Nauru Immigration in efficiently managing the timely processing of Visas is also crucial and has been a key factor in our rising visitor numbers.

“Additionally, Nauru Airlines expanded fleet and schedules are providing greater air access.

“The impact of Nauru’s national carrier is significant, not only providing connectivity for the world to reach Nauru via the Brisbane gateway, but also providing beyond access to other ports in Micronesia which would otherwise be hard to get to.  

“We are also collaborating with the Nauru Chamber of Commerce, encouraging local businesses to engage with Tourism-aligned activities such as car and bike hire services and production of local handicrafts.

“With all stakeholders working together, we are encouraging local enterprise and we are streamlining the process of travelling to Nauru, and that is certainly a factor in tourism growth, making it easier for interested travellers to visit,” he added.

Records show most visitors to Nauru stay around 4 days to make the most of popular activities like hikes and tours to World War II sites, historical and traditional tribal sites, fishing, swimming, walking or riding around the entire island or visiting the phosphate fields.

“While we don’t aspire to attract or accommodate ‘mass tourism’, we are keen to encourage a small-scale sustainable tourism sector to contribute to our local economy and opportunities for future generations," he said.

“For a long time Nauru has been referred to as ‘one of the least visited countries in the world’, however perhaps that is changing. Visa applications for the August-Sept-Oct period again look promising and we anticipate growing numbers moving forward.”