Dear Editor,
Please allow me space into your next edition to contribute to the Tourism development in our Solomon Islands.
I am greatful with the Hon. Philip led Government when he launched his Government Policy early this week. Its begining to become a serious concern may be to our leaders now that in the past years, we had been turning our focus away from this billion earning revenue to any country and Im happy with embark made into the government policy. Hence, we'd been toilling very much on logging industry which is a killer to both our environment and habbitants which your poor people whilest, Tourism doesn't do any harm like the usual mentality we did have in the past years that we did not want to develop on but logging. I wish to highlight here in agreeing with CHARLES DEROLLER FROM NEW YORK, USA on the WWII Tourism. Infact, this has been a delima and as a nation being affected by the historical event, we tend to side track the reality of defining what has been WWII to us as a nation. We understand,I guess that after every destructions, there is always good things. We need leaders who understands these sendiments to be transparent and come open and share this very important industry (Tourism) to reveals sites and hidden war attractions such the Iron Bottom Sound where the country could have earn millions of dollars from in the past decades. The road to peace and normalcy I believed has nearing its finishing line and there must be freedom of movements within our islands.
The next issue which I like to highlight here is the Attraction of Honiara and other urban towns within our provinces. If the government is seriously focussing its policy on Tourism, the first simple thing for them (government) through the Ministry of Tourism is to put serious priority on Honiara. A young age child can easily tell you whether a single tourist would love to travel to Honiara. Take a ride from the International Airport down to Whiteriver...there is so much of rubbish, plastics everywhere. The strategy of using schools or organizations to clean Honiara is a short sighted strategy. We need to think out of that box. Off course rubbish comes from an expenssive arrival and it has to be the same during its exit process. I like the employment Strategy that I'd read on the paper few months ago. You know the principle is that, it is people who create rubbish and so it needs people to get rid of rubbish. People should be employed, our population can still fit in into the approach and demacate them or zone them from Whiteriver to Henderson and along the inward roads of Honiara. Pay them wages monthly, provide them cleaning tools, assist HCC with incentives to accommodate rubbish. Our infrastructure developments, hire well qualified engineers to re-direct our road phases (not probationer engineers) drainages and erect road signpostings and road marking.
Our hotel industry needs to be upgraded to fit in the AAA grading into five stars hotel. Give project funds to rural landowners who can create chapters in the industry. Don't drop projects to top level people who don't have time to do eras even worse, don't have suitable destinations for tourism developments. seriously to name some changes, we need to chage the chinese building designs (flat roof olowe), look at the heart of Honiara city. Buildings from WestPac Bank to the Hotbread kitchen, would those building removed Please. HCC give them notice to rebuild or else vacate current business and build shooping malls. Tourists or visitors travel from Airport through ugly buildings, unmarked roads with no road signs, how do you feel as a Solomon Islander? Bushes among some central buildings. Old buildings like Leekokwen area behind the Hotbread shop at the back. Sorry of me being so specific but that is the so concerned part of Honiara.
Finally, I wish if the government could do ban on plastic and paper products from the shops in Honiara, serious and total exit from import goods. There are alot of things that we need to work on to touch the heart of the Global Tourism demand. In this sense we can say and see forward the very words of the Prime Minister during his launching of the Government Policy and I quote, "building a new Solomon Islands in the 21st Century."
Thank you for your time and do take note as it is grave concerns for me. I hope you too.
God Bless SI
Tourism in SI
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this letter are those of Trevor Laban Honimae and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Solomon Times Online.
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