After a few tough years watching tumbleweeds blow through their airports and resorts, the Solomon Islands are officially back in business — and if the early numbers are anything to go by, 2025 is shaping up to be a corker.
Newly released figures from the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (SINSO) indicate that the archipelago has attracted its largest number of international visitors since the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Between January and March, 5612 intrepid travellers touched down — a handsome 14.5 percent increase over the same period in 2024, when 4903 arrivals were counted.
In what can only be described as a faithful display of mateship, Australians once again led the charge. A hearty 1570 Aussies crossed the seas for a bit of Solomon sun and hospitality, a solid 5.08 percent rise on last year’s tally of 1484. If nothing else, it proves that when it comes to backing a good neighbour, Australians are rarely found wanting.
Over in North America, too, wanderlust seems to have stirred from its slumber. Visitor numbers from the United States and Canada increased by 16 percent, from 375 to 435. It’s hardly a stampede just yet, but every bit of momentum counts — and one imagines many were charmed by the promise of palm-fringed beaches and a slower, more gracious pace of life.
Elsewhere, the South Pacific spirit shone brightly. Fiji sent over 510 visitors — a modest 2.2 percent increase — while New Zealand recorded a slight 5.9 per cent decline (perhaps Kiwis are saving themselves for later in the year?). Papua New Guinea followed suit with a 5.12 percent dip. No matter. These are friends, not fair-weather acquaintances, and they’ll be back.
The real cause for a jig in the streets came from the collective figures for “Other South Pacific” nations. Numbers from these neighbours almost doubled, leaping an extraordinary 96.5 percent, from 230 to 452. It’s a show of regional solidarity that warms the heart.
So, what’s behind the surge?
According to Acting Tourism Solomons CEO Dagnal Dereveke, who looked justifiably pleased with himself, it all comes down to three significant events that turned the spotlight squarely on Honiara.
First came the 2025 Miss South Pacific Pageant in February, bringing colour, culture, and no small amount of glamour to town. Then, March served up the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG14): Life Below Water Forum, alongside the Oceania Football Confederation Champions League Tournament. Between the beauty queens, marine biologists, and football fans, Honiara barely had time to catch its breath — and that’s precisely how they like it.
Asia, too, made a mighty showing. Driven mainly by Chinese passport holders, Asian visitor numbers surged 44.9 percent, increasing from 885 to a substantial 1,282 arrivals. It’s a sign that the Solomon Islands’ star is rising steadily in the East.
Yet for all the good cheer, Dereveke sounded a sensible note of caution.
“Positive growth aside, it’s not the time to rest on our laurels,” he said, with the air of a man who knows that fortune favours the persistent. “This result has been very hard won, and while it’s certainly a good start to the year, our focus must remain firmly on rebuilding and growing back to pre-pandemic numbers, especially within our key leisure markets.”
And he’s right. In travel, as in life, the race is not always to the swift — but to the steady, the resilient, and the warm-hearted.
For the Solomon Islands — a place where time slows, the sea shimmers, and the welcome is as genuine as a sunrise over Guadalcanal — 2025 is already feeling like a turning point. And if the first quarter is anything to go by, the best chapters of their tourism story are still to be written.
One thing’s for sure: when the Solomon Islands put the kettle on, you’d be a fool not to stay for a cuppa, a Gin & Tonic or even a cold beer.
By Sandra Jones
