Tourism on the rebound in the Solomon Islands
Tourist numbers in the Solomon Islands have almost recovered to pre-COVID levels, and the government is eyeing an additional surge in tourism in the coming years, as Craig Tansley reports for Business Advantage PNG.
The Fatboys Resort on Mbambanga Island in Western Province of the Solomon Islands. Credit: Solomons Tourism
The Solomon Islands are continuing a major tourism rebound. Figures for 2025 show that international tourist numbers are almost back to the country’s 2019 benchmark of almost 29,000 visitors per year, before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
In 2025, 28,458 international tourists visited the Solomons. That’s an increase of 13 per cent on 2024.
But now the Solomon Islands government has set a huge target for tourism in the coming years. It wants 100,000 international tourists per year from 2035, a target that will require a sustained and consistent annual growth of around 15 per cent.
“After the stall in tourism due to COVID-19, development is now taking place across the Solomons.”
The country’s tourism board is positioning the Solomons as the Pacific region’s “last true great adventure frontier” to try to attract high-value travellers seeking authentic, uncrowded and nature-led eco-experiences.
Tourism Solomons Head of Corporate Services, Dagnal Dereveke, tells Business Advantage PNG that the destination’s marketing direction reflects the Solomon Islands’ commitment to offering “real adventure in a true eco-environment”.
“We are focused on delivering high-value, low-impact adventure experiences that appeal to a discerning global audience in niche areas (like diving, surfing, hiking).”
Most-visited region
The most visited region of the Solomon Islands continues to be the Western Province, especially the settlements of Gizo and Munda, and the iconic Morovo Lagoon – the world’s largest saltwater lagoon.
Travellers come to this region for diving, snorkelling and World War 2 wrecks. They also come for other activities like hiking, birdwatching, deep-sea fishing and surfing.
It’s this area where you’ll find some of the country’s most exclusive accommodation, though while some of it is considered boutique and luxurious, it’s very much of the ‘barefoot luxury’ category.
Low-impact retreats on their own islands, like Fatboys Resort, offer visitors exclusivity – but with a rustic orientation. You’ll be transported to these retreats by boat or by landing at their own airstrip; and you’ll access fishing, diving, surfing and hiking excursions from boats that pick you up right from your retreat.
Development across the Solomons
After the stall in tourism due to COVID-19, development is now taking place across the Solomons.
Much of it is focused on the country’s capital, Honiara, where Air Niugini flies regularly. In January, a new 60-room hotel, Xiaos Henderson Hotel, opened beside the international airport, while the King Solomon Hotel is undergoing a US$45 million renovation.
The 41-room Outback Holiday Resort opened in mid-2025, as well as refurbished hotel Raiders Hotel & Dive, on the island of Tulagi. There’s also a new hotel in Gizo (Zaru Hotel) and a new lodge in Guadalcanal, called Parangiju Mountain Lodge.
And in a major expansion to the Solomons’ surf tourism, Nafinua Surf Retreat has opened just off the southeast island of Santa Ana.
