Solomon Islands recorded 15,358 international arrivals in the second quarter of 2026, an increase of 27.7 per cent on the first quarter, the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office said. Compared with the same quarter a year earlier, total arrivals rose by 9.7 per cent.
Visitors accounted for 50.1 per cent of all arrivals and returning residents 49.5 per cent, the office said, with intending residents making up the smallest share. Visitor arrivals rose 33.5 per cent to 7,688, from 5,759 in the first quarter, and were 15.1 per cent higher than in the second quarter of 2025.
By country of residence, Australia was the largest source of visitors at 27.0 per cent, or 2,075 Australian visitors, up 24.5 per cent from 1,666 in the previous quarter. China followed with 15.0 per cent, then Papua New Guinea with 9.8 per cent, Fiji with 8.6 per cent, the United States of America with 7.5 per cent and New Zealand with 5.3 per cent.
June was the strongest month of the quarter with 2,894 visitors. The quarter recorded 2,835 tourists, of whom 2,324 gave holiday and vacation as their purpose of travel, and tourists stayed an average of 10 days. Australia made up 25.8 per cent of tourists.
Visitors aged 25 to 64 made up 75.3 per cent of visitor arrivals, while male visitors represented 65.5 per cent and female visitors 34.5 per cent. Air Niugini carried 36.3 per cent of visitors, followed by Qantas with 27.5 per cent and Solomon Airlines with 25.8 per cent.
Weekly Brisbane-Munda flights began in January 2026, but the office said visitor statistics for Munda for the first and second quarters would be published with the third quarter 2026 release because of a delay in receiving arrival cards from Munda immigration.
Source: Based on "International arrivals increase by 27.7 percent in second quarter", published on the Solomon Islands Government portal under the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office on 30 October 2026. https://solomons.gov.sb/international-arrivals-increase-by-27-7-percent-in-second-quarter/