A relaxing spot to wind down, apart from taking a long drive to the beach, is often hard to find.

For most in Honiara, the closest is the children's park in Rove, built purposely for families and their young children.

"We need more spots like the children's park for families to meet and relax together, instead of always having to take long drives out of town to find a relaxing spot," John Paul, a father of two young girls, said.

He said with ongoing rumours of safety concerns for the general public going to the beach, authorities should consider upgrading empty lands along the coast in the city.

"It is common abroad to see parks everywhere even in the heart of the city with proper utilities like leaf huts and BBQ plates readily available," he added.

Paul said that with the existing beach spots, "there is still a lot to do in terms of upgrading what is currently available".

He said this includes proper sanitation which is lacking in most beach spots.

"If we are to open our tourism market, little things like this need consideration such as upgrading spots that will attract tourists to our shores," he said.

He adds that the country has the potential to be able to compete with other countries on an international level.

"Authorities just need to work together and be creative in their town planning in order to improve on what we currently have and develop ourselves," Paul said.

Improvement and creation of recreational areas will benefit both the country and local business owners who own the land.

"This is not just for tourists to enjoy but also the locals alike who will benefit greatly on such initiatives," he said.