Green Tourism (SI) Ltd has released holiday products it has developed over the past six months in partnership with eco-tourism operators at Nagho Roderick Bay in Gela and in Savo Islands, Central Province.
In a statement the managing director Michael Tokuru revealed that the major holiday products included: a special weekend package to Nagho Roderick Bay in Sandfly Passage, Florida Islands for 3 days and 2 nights; a special holiday package to Megapode Eco-Lodge on Savo Island for 3 days and 2 nights; a special holiday package to Beta Island, Buena Vista, for 3 days and 2 nights; a special tour package to Kobuana Island in Buena Vista for 1 day; a special guided bush trekking across the peninsular in west big Gela for 2½ hours (4-5 kms) from Lolongana Bay near Tulagi in the southeast to Roderick Bay in the northeast as part of the special weekend package to Nagho Roderick Bay and; an extended tour package to the “Old Capital” and WWII sites at Tulagi from Roderick Bay Beach Resort for 1 day.
“West big Gela including Sandfly and Buena Vista islands and Savo Island in Central Province have some of the best and pristine beaches, coastlines, islands and islets, lagoons, waterways, coral reefs, fishing grounds, tropical forests, waterfalls, native flora and fauna, dormant volcano, rare megapode bird fields, indigenous people, unique cultural values and traditions, and rich historical heritage in the country.
“Interestingly, Gela and Savo islands which are near the epicentre of development in the capital Honiara are yet to become major players in the country’s tourism development since the country’s independence in July 1978.
“This situation needs to be reversed so that the Central Province including Gela and Savo islands becomes the next tourism destination hub in Solomon Islands.
“Green Tourism (SI) Ltd acknowledges the willingness of local tourism operators and landowners they work with in Gela and Savo in allowing their natural resources to be developed into saleable tourism products that will help meet the unmet demands for holiday packages that currently exist in Central Province and the country.
“We also acknowledge and greatly appreciate the support given us and to the tourism development in Central Province by the current provincial government.
“Some of the unique features about our holiday packages are that they offer a variety of nature- and history-based activities in uncrowded and pristine locations in Gela and Savo islands where the forests meet the sea and where the natural and physical conditions still remain intact, and are away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
“These activities include swimming, snorkeling and diving; bush walking, trekking, and bird watching; natural and historical site-seeing, coastal and village tours; volcanic tour, megapode bird watching, and hot spring tour; and family or group picnics, board surfing, beach sports, and camping.
“Some of the key benefits of the holiday packages to visitors and guests, local people and economy are that they are priced in local currency, offer a great value for money, competitive to similar products offered in neighbouring countries, a source of income for the tour operators and their families, and provide job opportunities for the young unemployed school-leavers in the communities.
“We envisage that after the short but exciting holiday or tour, the visitors and guests will go away with good and positive feelings about the country and its people and become repeat visitors to Gela and Savo and the country.
“It’s only the beginning and that the Company will endeavour to improve its holiday packages over time in order to keep up with the visitors’ expectations and at the same time we will create new and exciting products in other parts of Central Province in the months to come.
“The Company is now promoting and selling these holiday and tour packages locally for three months with effect from 1 September 2014 and to overseas markets in early 2015.”
