Tourism Solomons has been formally recognised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for more than five decades of continuous membership.
Accepting the award on behalf of the national tourist office at the PATA 2026 Annual Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, Acting CEO, Dagnal Dereveke said the recognition underscored not only the length of the Solomon Islands’ long association with the organisation but also its long-standing commitment to regional tourism cooperation.
Originally established as the Solomon Islands Tourism Authority in the early 1960’s, the country’s relationship with PATA pre-dates the Solomon Islands’ gaining independence from Great Britain in 1978.
This places the NTO in a unique position as one of the very few tourist boards holding PATA membership while operating under British colonial administration.
Mr Dereveke paid tribute to the Chairpersons, board members, general managers and former CEO, also acknowledging the teams who over the years have helped and continue to help carry the Solomon Islands tourism industry through periods of growth, major challenges, and transformation, both regionally and globally.
These leaders include former CEO, the late Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto who earned strong recognition for the Solomon Islands on the international tourism stage, and huge kudos for Tourism Solomons when he was invited to join the PATA executive board in 2019.
Mr Dereveke also cited fellow Solomon Islander and former Ministry of Culture & Tourism (MCT) Permanent Secretary, Andrew Nihopara who in 2009 was named PATA’s ‘Face of the Future’ while serving as the South Pacific Tourism Organisation’s Marketing Manager.