SOLOMONS, POTENTIAL DESTINATION FOR CHINESE TOURISTS

Solomon Islands could be an ideal tourist destination for Chinese tourists, according to visiting Counsellor of the Papua New Guinea based Chinese Embassy, Wang Genhua.

Counsellor Genhua told Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare in a meeting in Honiara that Solomon Islands would be an ideal tourism destination for his people because there are fresh fish, food crops and vegetables and, above all, smiling people.

In response, Prime Minister Sogavare says yes the HAPPY ISLES has all the tropical attractions that visitors would want to see.

He says they include the Marovo Lagoon, the longest one in the World, remnants of World War Two, including one-thousand warships used during that war are sitting at the bottom of the Iron Bottom Sound off Honiara city, and in the Western Province, as well as beautiful beaches and reefs for snorkelling can be found in most islands nation-wide.

Mr Sogavare says the unique sites will need to be packaged and marketed abroad.

Meanwhile, Mr Genhua says most Chinese tourists go to Bali in Indonesia, however, they could be lured to come to Solomon Islands if the tourism infrastructure is attractive.

Reporting for the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, George Atkin says Mr. Genhua however raised the questions of whether or not there is electricity and transport facility in the rural areas.

Prime Minister Sogavare says many villages in the rural areas now have access to solar lighting and transport infrastructure is being addressed with donor assistance.