The recent Bonfire Festival in Honiara, centered around Melanesian music, has been hailed as a major success by Tourism Solomons, which has called the event a potential model for promoting local cultural, musical, and sporting events to international markets.

Tourism Solomons Acting CEO, Dagnal Dereveke, said the National Tourist Office’s (NTO) sponsorship of the Bonfire Festival had two main goals: first, to foster local interest in such events, and second, to elevate them onto the global stage by attracting international visitors.

“Our neighboring Melanesian countries are our fastest-growing source of international tourists,” Dereveke said. “The Bonfire Festival, which was promoted in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, saw a significant influx of music fans from these countries, with several musicians hailing from there.”

Tourism Solomons sees the success of the Bonfire Festival as a stepping stone for other unique local festivals to gain international recognition. Dereveke pointed to Malaita’s Shell Money Festival, Santa Catalina’s Wogasia Festival, and Temotu Province’s Tinakula Festival as prime examples of events that could follow suit.

"If we can achieve this with the Bonfire Festival, there’s no reason we can’t market our other distinctive festivals to international audiences," he said.

Traditionally, Tourism Solomons has focused on promoting the Solomon Islands in overseas markets by forging partnerships, providing training, and enhancing the destination's brand.

However, the NTO has also shown its ability to adapt by shifting its focus to the domestic market when needed.

In July 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent 800-day border closure, Tourism Solomons partnered with the Ministry of Culture & Tourism (MCT) and Solomon Airlines to launch the 'Solomons Holidays' initiative, which was instrumental in keeping the tourism industry afloat.

The initiative, originally known as ‘Iumi Tugeda Holidays,’ helped generate much-needed revenue, maintain jobs, and provide economic relief to many families.

“The domestic holiday program was vital during the border closure, allowing businesses to stay open and providing families with an income,” Dereveke said.

In addition to the Bonfire Festival, Tourism Solomons has supported other local events, such as the Solomon Airlines Peace Marathon, Guadalcanal WWII Anniversary activities, and sporting events like fishing and surfing competitions. The NTO has also backed the Miss Tourism campaign and the MCT-led Peace March.

Dereveke emphasized that local events not only stimulate the economy by attracting visitors who spend money on accommodation, food, and activities but also strengthen community pride.

“These events provide invaluable marketing content for us to promote our country’s culture and traditions to the world, and they create a welcoming environment for both domestic and international tourists.”

Visitor Growth Tourism Solomons reported that visitor arrivals from Papua New Guinea increased by 106%, while arrivals from Vanuatu grew by 125% between January and June 2024. 

 

 

Source: Press Release, Tourism Solomons