FOLLOWING the sealing of an agreement last week for the code-share between Solomon Airlines and Qantas, the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (SIVB) has described the deal as a catalyst with the potential to thrust the country fully into the international tourism spotlight.
Roundly congratulating the ‘Solomon Airlines’ team responsible for forging the agreement with its Australian counterpart, SIVB CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto said the code share presented the Solomon Islands tourism industry with a massive opportunity.
“This agreement represents so much more than just an increase in tourism business from Australia,” Mr Tuamoto said.
“We have for many years been proactive in promoting the Solomon Islands tourism potential in those overseas markets where we see it as prospective sources for visitor arrival growth,” he said.
“But this new opportunity and the doors now open to us has given us the ability to take our international marketing to a whole new level”, he added.
He said the reality is that this agreement could quite possibly represent one of the best prospects if not in fact the most significant the Solomon Islands tourism industry has ever seen.
“Thanks to our national carrier, the opportunity has been thrust into our hands.
“It’s to us, collectively as an industry, to combine resources and ensure we do take advantage of the opening that has been presented,” he added.
The signing of the Solomon Airlines’- Qantas code share agreement took place last week on the 14th of October at the Solomon airlines head office in Henderson, East Honiara.
