International visitation to the Solomon Islands jumped by close on 12 per cent across April 2017.
Official figures released by the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office show a total of 2013 international visitors recorded for the month representing an 11.8 per cent increase over the same period in 2016.
Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (SIVB) CEO, Josefa ‘Jo Tuamoto said the April result had proven a strong accomplishment given a sluggish Q1 performance which saw figures for the period January-March 2017 dip by 3.1 per cent over the corresponding period in 2016.
“Following on from that slow start the 11 per cent-plus growth for April is good news and represents a great achievement which we hope will pave the way to the rest for the year,” he said.
Australian visitor arrivals again lead the charge, the 822-figure recorded representing 41 per cent of all visitation.
Visitor arrivals from all other key source markets – New Zealand, the US and PNG – remained steady, in the process helping to keep the Solomon Islands on track for an anticipated seven per cent increase in overall visitation across 2017.
“We are also seeing slow but growth from several of our emerging markets including Europe and Asia which is very encouraging,” Mr Tuamoto said.
“We are confident the activity leading into, during and post the 75th anniversary of the Guadalcanal campaign and the corresponding commemoration of the John F. Kennedy rescue in August this year will play a role in boosting our 2017 numbers.”
-ENDS-
Distributed on behalf of the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau by Mike Parker-Brown
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