The Solomon Islands’ tourism industry is showing strong signs of recovery, with newly released visitor arrival figures for Q4 2022 indicating that the destination is on track to emulate its best-ever result in 2019. The figures, released by the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (SINSO), reveal that a total of 4,207 international visitors travelled through Honiara International Airport between October and December 2022, representing a 69 percent increase over the previous quarter’s total of 2,481.

Australians continue to make up the bulk of the visitors, accounting for 42 percent of the Q4 total with a total of 1,775 arrivals – an increase of 71 percent over the 1,038 figure recorded in Q3. New Zealand and US markets have also shown a solid improvement, with New Zealand visitor arrivals growing by 60.6 percent from 155 to 249, and US numbers increasing by 60.6 percent from 277 to 360.

Dagnal Dereveke, Acting CEO & Head of Corporate Services, expressed his delight at the results, which he said underlined the tourist office’s efforts to regain key Australian, New Zealand, and US numbers as quickly as possible. He remained cautiously confident and said that continuing efforts, good marketing, and reinstating international confidence in the Solomon Islands would help the destination return to pre-pandemic levels in a relatively short time.

Mr Dereveke emphasized that the tourist office’s overall marketing strategy would focus on promoting core product offerings where the Solomon Islands holds a competitive edge or can compete with its opposition. These include the destination’s unique living culture, world-class diving and fishing, surfing, trekking, WWII history, and birding.

Mr Dereveke also highlighted the country’s staging of the 2023 Pacific Games in November, which he said holds significant potential for the Solomon Islands’ profile in Australia and New Zealand. With both countries televising many of the events on a daily basis across the games’ 14-day duration, this presents a prime opportunity to showcase what the Solomon Islands has to offer international visitors to millions of Aussies and Kiwis.

The Solomon Islands’ tourism industry is proving resilient and is well-positioned to bounce back from the pandemic’s adverse effects. The recent visitor arrival figures indicate that the destination is on track to achieve its pre-pandemic visitor numbers, and with the right marketing strategies and continued efforts, it may even surpass those numbers. As the world looks forward to a brighter future, the Solomon Islands is ready to welcome visitors with open arms and showcase its unique offerings to the world.

Written by: Anne Keam

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