SIVB/Solomon Airlines continue to shine international spotlight on Solomon Islands’ tourism potential

Further building on the huge awareness the Solomon Islands has enjoyed in Australia in recent weeks, the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau and Solomon Airlines have combined to invite four senior international travel writers in a week-long visit to the destination.

Part of the SIVB’s ‘International Media Visitation Program’ (IMVP), the four media included three Australians and one New Zealander.

Consumer media included Mal Chenu of the Sydney-based Sun Herald (which boasts a readership of close on 800,000 readers in New South Wales) and Melissa Rimac who contributes her stories to the 25 NewsLocal newspapers distributed across the Sydney metropolitan area.

The two travel industry media included Elise Galati representing Travel Weekly, one of Australia’s biggest industry titles, and Scott Lee from New Zealand ‘Islandtime’ who travelled from Auckland.

While in the Solomon Islands the group visited hotels and resorts in Honiara, Gizo and Tavanipupu Private Island Resort and were exposed to various sightseeing tours and attractions, all part of a soft adventure and culture-heavy SIVB itinerary designed to showcase the potential on offer to travellers.

Acknowledging the huge support the SIVB receives from Solomon Airlines, SIVB CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto said the visit came hot on the heels of the massive print, online and radio campaign currently underway in New South Wales.

This, he said, has already reached millions of people living in a population-heavy footprint surrounding Sydney.

“The SIVB IMVP, thanks to the support of Solomon Airlines, is playing a critical role in bringing the international tourism spotlight to bear on the Solomon Islands,” Mr Tuamoto said.

“Since April 2014 we have now entertained some 27 media plus an Australian travel film crew and our profile has grown exponentially in that time as a result.

“We know our strength lies in niche tourism – our unique culture, WWII, soft adventure, diving, surfing, bird-watching, the romance market – and these elements continue to form a key part of our ongoing direction.

“But the IMVP is just one element of the strategy we are currently employing.

“To echo Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare’s recent statement, we also need to work closely with international marketing groups and travel companies to deliver and make available the travel products international travellers want and need to come to our islands.

“And that is a job already well underway.”