Solomon Islands Welcomed 26,036 Visitors in 2023; Positive Outlook for 2024

Dark/Light Mode (23/02/24)  The Solomon Islands attracted more than 26,000 visitors in 2023, the country's best result since reopening its border in July 2022.

Dagnal Dereveke, Tourism Solomons CEO (Acting), said the release of the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (SINSO) figures revealed 26,036 international visitors travelled through Honiara International Airport (HIR) between January and December 2023, signifying a promising trajectory for the destination’s tourism sector.

While the 26,030 total fell short of the targeted 29,000 record number achieved in 2019, Mr Dereveke said 2023 had been characterised by concerted efforts from an entire tourism sector bent on post-pandemic recovery and reaching pre-pandemic visitation levels.

Acknowledging the result had been largely helped by the influx of influx of international athletes and spectators attending the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara last November, Mr Dereveke said he was optimistic of a stronger 2024 result given recent developments on the Australia-Solomon Islands flight sector.

Fatboys Resort on Mbambanga Island in Gizo, Solomon Islands

That includes Solomon Airlines’ increasing air capacity between Honiara and Brisbane, a resumed direct Brisbane-Munda service and the resumption of Qantas flights on the Brisbane-Honiara sector.

“Going forward our 2024 marketing strategy revolves around continuing to place major efforts around our short haul markets where we have direct access to grow the numbers with planned joint marketing activities planned for this year 2024 with Solomon Airlines and key industry partners,” he said.

Australian arrivals again dominated the figures, and whilst the 8,688 were down on the 11,011 achieved in 2019, they still comprised 33 percent of total visitation.

Surprisingly, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, traditionally Solomon Islands’ fourth and fifth biggest sources of visitation, have jumped into second and third place respectively.

Papua New Guinea arrivals grew from 1,649 in 2019 to reach 2,356, an increase of 42 percent, while Fiji numbers grew by 24 percent, from 1,839 to 2,295.

Visitor arrivals from the USA remained relatively steady at 1,777, an overall decrease of 8.4 percent, whilst New Zealand numbers declined by 8.1 percent, from 1,954 in 2019 to 1,795 in 2023.

Mr Dereveke said he was confident of a solid increase in New Zealand numbers in 2024 thanks to a Solomon Airlines-Air Vanuatu collaboration instigated in June last year which provides more direct access to the Solomon islands for Kiwi travellers.

“Considering the challenges we faced at the start of 2023, overall, the 2023 result marks a pivotal moment for our tourism sector and one that in 2024 we intend to consolidate across all sources of visitation,” he said. “We remain cautiously confident that via our continuing efforts, effective marketing, and increased international confidence in the Solomon Islands, the destination will see an even stronger result across all target markets in the coming year.”

See also: Air Connectivity, Travel and Tourism - Exclusive Video Interview with Dagnal Dereveke, Acting CEO, Tourism Solomons (July 2023)

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