SUVA, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Vanuatu has recently launched an ambitious tourism plan, namely the Vanuatu Sustainable Tourism Policy (2018-2030), with the aim of increasing the number of foreign tourists to 450,000 by 2030, according to Radio New Zealand on Monday.

Adela Issachar Aru, chief executive of Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO), said her office was increasing its marketing budget to meet the target.

"As part of our tourism market development plan, within the next five years, there should be an increase in support for destination marketing at a value of 6.5 million U.S. dollars per year up until 2023," She said.

She confirmed that they have received a 1.8-million-U.S. dollar marketing kick-start for the challenge.

In 2017, tourism accounted for 46.1 percent of the island nation's GDP with about 110,000 visitor arrivals, which brought in 254 million U.S. dollars, over 60 percent of the nation's foreign export earnings.

Robert Avio, chairman of VTO, said the Chinese tourism market is another potential for Vanuatu's tourism industry and the government will continue to support and develop strategies and mechanisms to woo more Chinese tourists.