Toilet boasts its own website

VANUATU – In what is believed to be a world first – a public toilet in Vanuatu has its own dedicated website

Located in Paunangisu, North Efate, this new public toilet facility can be visited while on a tour of the island or at the web address bestpublictoilet.org.

Billing itself as the “Best Public Toilet in the South Pacific”, the newly-opened WC even has its own marketing slogan: “It’s the place to GO when you need to GO”.

So, why does a public toilet facility need its own website and a marketing slogan?

The answer reveals the vision behind the project –by marketing it to tourists and tour operators and charging a small usage fee, the public toilet creates both a self-supporting tourist attraction and seed money for future tourism development projects at nearby Paunangisu village.

The website expounds the destination’s virtues: “By car, bus or taxi, the village of Paunangisu – where you will find the best toilet in all South Pacific – is just one hour out of Port Vila, at the north of the island, along a wonderful smooth road.

“If you are walking or riding a bike, it will take you much longer than one hour.

“But no matter how you arrive, we welcome you and will put lots of signs on the road to help you make the right turn at the village of Paunangisu (Pow-nan-is-oo) – hard to say, but once you’ve been – unforgettable!”

After building the toilet stop-off point for tourists halfway around Efate, the planned next step is to create small local tourism business ventures around it – for example shops, restaurants and village tours, creating employment and other income opportunities for Paunangisu villagers.

A partnership between the people of Paunangisu and the North Ringwood Uniting Church, in Victoria, Australia, the public toilet building has two male and two female toilets, plus one disabled toilet.

It is also fitted with guttering and a 20,000 litre tank to allow the capture and storage of rainwater for use by the village.

Visitors to the toilet facility are encouraged to “spend a penny” literally.

The price for a comfort stop varies. Visitors are charged 200 vatu, or US$2.50 per person – however there are group discounts, $1.00 if you’re in a group of five or just 50 cents if there’s more than 10 in your tour.

Locals pay just 50 cents and children are free.

When the website announced the facility was open for business in December last year they posted the headline: “All cisterns are go.”

- PNC