VISITOR ARRIVALS UP 14.5% FOR 2016’s FIRST QUARTER: SIVB

The Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (SIVB) has said a continuing strong performance across March has seen the Solomon Islands close off this year’s first quarter with a 14.5 percent increase in international visitor arrivals, including a marked 19.4 percent increase in Asian-based traffic.

A statement from the Bureau says official Solomon Islands government statistics released this week showed a total of 5,037 international visitors arrived in the January to March period.

It says Australian figures continue to dominate, the 2,024 figure recorded in the first quarter, a 15.6 percent increase on the 1,750 total recorded last year.

US visitor arrivals again showed strong growth with a 9.11 percent increase backing up the 41.0 percent growth recorded in February and March.

Meanwhile, Bureau boss Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto says he was particularly pleased with the marked growth for the destination’s combined visitor arrivals from Asia.

In February Mr. Tuamoto led an SIVB team to Port Moresby where he held talks with Air Niugini CEO, Simon Fo’o to discuss ways in which both organisations could collaborate to increase the flow of Asian visitor arrivals via the carrier’s services ex-Bali, Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore, and Tokyo into Port Moresby and onwards to Honiara.

He says adds, Asian visitor arrivals are starting to pick up as our reputation particularly as a world-class dive destination in the massive Asian dive community continues to build up.