Tourists are returning to the Solomon Islands, which has reopened its borders and abolished quarantine after more than two years of isolation from the rest of the world under restrictions designed to combat the Covid pandemic.
With fully vaccinated international visitors welcome, work is underway on the Munda International Airport Terminal Building, the final step in upgrading Munda (on the island of New Georgia) to become an alternative international airport for the Solomons. Work by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) should be completed in June 2023.
Solomon Airlines suspended its weekly flights from Brisbane to Munda during the Covid isolation period, but international flights to Munda are expected to resume when the new terminal completes. Munda is considered one of the world’s undiscovered gems of diving.
Fiona Teama, Tourism Solomons head of sales and marketing, told media in Sydney on Thursday that tourists were increasingly attracted to nature and the environment in the Solomons. Birdwatchers, particularly from New Zealand, are keen to see some of the Solomons’ 70 endemic species of birds, which include the ultramarine kingfisher, Solomons cockatoo and the midget flowerpecker.
Fiona Teama, Tourism Solomons head of sales and marketing
Most tourists come from Australia and New Zealand, with increasing numbers from “other Pacific” and Asia.
Tourism Solomons acting chief executive, Head of Corporate Services, Dagnal Dereveke, said that before the borders reopened, tourism operators in the Solomons had undertaken “Tourism Minimum Standards Extra-Care” training and Covid-safe protocols in preparation.
“We know the return to where we were in 2019 when we welcomed a record 28,000 international visitors will take time,” Dereveke said, “but our tourism industry has survived numerous crises over the years, our reputation is one of resilience and achievement.”
Dereveke is shown in the main photo above with Mike Parker-Brown, PR Consultant – Tourism Solomons, and Raquel Oliviera, National Sales Manager, Solomon Airlines. The other photo shows two guests at the Tourism Solomons media lunch: Daniel Resnik of The Bondi Travel Bug and Peter Needham of Global Travel Media.
Honiara International Airport, serving the capital on the island of Guadalcanal, remains the country’s main airport. Solomon Airlines has reintroduced regular flights on the Solomon Islands and Australia, Fiji, Vanuatu and Kiribati services, many of which offer connections to partner airline services from New Zealand, Asia and the USA.
Virgin Australia flights are likely to resume services to the Solomon Islands towards the end of this year, the carrier having been allocated 360 seats per week in each direction between Australia and Honiara.
