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Tourism Solomons is celebrating its best first quarter of international visitor intake since 2019 – a trend which continues as visitors from Australia take the opportunity to explore one of the most appealing destinations within easy reach.

Newly released Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (SINSO) international visitor statistics for January-March 2025 showed visitor arrivals increased from 4903 over the same period in 2024 to hit 5612, a jump of 14.5%.

Arrivals are running 11% higher for the first four months of this year than during the same period last year.

Australian tourism media learned the details yesterday at a briefing in Sydney hosted by Tourism Solomons’ Acting CEO, Dagnal Dereveke and his team.

A scattered archipelago of some 900 richly forested, mountainous islands and low-lying coral atolls, the Solomon Islands has been attracting international tourism since 1568, when Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendana first sailed into this corner of the South Pacific.

Big recent attractions include the country’s hosting of three significant events: the 2025 Miss South Pacific Pageant Tournament in February; the 2025 Honiara Summit – Sustainable Development Goals (SDG14): Life Below Water Forum; and the 2025 Oceania Football Confederation Champions League Tournament, both in March. Other events are in the pipeline.

The North American market is surging, and similarly, ‘collective’ figures from Asia, driven predominantly by Chinese passport holders, rose from 885 in the first quarter of 2025 to 1282, a 44.9% increase over the same period in 2024.

The destination attracts new travellers worldwide: family groups, honeymooners, sports fishermen, yachties, culture lovers, and those simply looking to make their own tracks.

The newly emerging, multifaceted Solomon Islands can cater to every taste, desire, and budget, offering accommodation ranging from hotels in the capital, Honiara, to boutique resorts, eco-lodges, and homestays dotted across the archipelago.

To capitalise on these niche markets, the Solomons have published separate brochures covering battlefields (the region was hotly contested by the Allies and Japanese forces in World War II), birdwatching, diving, fishing, and surfing.

Many Australian travellers are still surprised to learn that the Solomon Islands are very easy to reach—Honiara’s capital is less than three hours’ drive from Brisbane.