Solomon Islands 2025 visitor numbers off to a flyer

Tourism Solomons is celebrating its best first quarter  international visitor intake since 2019.

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

Australian arrivals once again continued to dominate the statistics, the 1570 figure recorded for the quarter representing a 5.08  percent growth over the 1484 tally recorded the previous year.

The biggest single increase was seen in the North America market where numbers for the quarter climbed 16 percent from 375 to 435.

Numbers from the destination’s other key source markets stayed relatively steady with slight gains and losses across the  board.

Fiji figures increased by 2.2 percent from 499 to 510 while arrivals from New Zealand dipped 5.9 percent from 354 to 333,  and Papua New Guinea recording a -5.12 percent drop from 469 to 444.

Notably ‘collective’ numbers from other South Pacific countries for the period  increased 96.5 percent – from 230 to 452.

Tourism Solomons CEO (Acting), Dagnal Dereveke attributed these figures to the country’s hosting of three major events – the hosting of 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.

And similarly, ‘collective’ figures from Asia, driven predominantly by the Chinese passport holders, rose from 885 to reach 1282, a 44.9 percent increase over same period in 2024.

Acknowledging what he described as a “very hard worked for result”, Tourism Solomon CEO (Acting), Dagnal Dereveke said focus in 2025 has to stay fixed on rebuilding and growing the numbers to pre-COVID numbers in the destination’s key source markets and particularly the leisure market.

“Positive growth aside, it’s not the time to rest on our laurels but having said that, it has been a good start to the year and one that bodes well for our tourism industry in 2025,” he said.