International Arrivals Rises Significantly by 221.4 Percent
THERE were 5, 357 international arrivals into the country in the third quarter of 2022.
The National Statistics Office released the third quarter report on Monday 21st November 2022.
The Government Statistician Douglas Kimi said this is a significant increase of 221.4% compared to the previous quarter (2nd quarter 2022).
He said compared to the same quarter a year ago, a huge increase of 6,432.9% was recorded.
“These increases are the result of the lifting of travel restrictions and reopening of international borders since July 2022.
“Returning residents made up 52.6% of arrivals for third quarter 2022.
“This was followed by Visitors with 46.3% of arrivals and the remaining 1.1% were Intending residents.”
Visitor arrivals for the third quarter increased by 589.2% to 2,481 visitors, compared to the second quarter 2022 figure of 360 visitors.
There was also an increase of visitor arrivals from third quarter 2021 to third quarter 2022.
Arrivals by country of residence for the third quarter 2022 showed that Australia (41.8%) recorded the largest group of visitors to the Solomon Islands.
There was an increase 529.1% to 1,038 in Australian visitors compared to the second quarter of 2022 figure of 165.
The next largest group of visitors were from Other Asia (11.4%) followed by Unite States of America (11.2%), Fiji (10.8%), New Zealand (6.2%), Papua New Guinea (6.0%), Japan (2.9%), Other Pacific and Europe both (1.9%), Vanuatu (1.7%), China (1,4%), and United Kingdom and Other Country (0.8%).
Meanwhile, visitor arrivals by month showed that August recorded the highest number of arrivals in the third quarter of 2022 with 997 visitors.
This was followed by month of September with a total of 969 visitors and July the least with 515 visitors.
Third quarter 2022 recorded 490 tourists whose purpose of travel was for holiday and vacation and they spent an average of 17 days in the country.
Australia made up the highest proportion of tourists (50.6%) for the quarter.
Visitors from United States of America made up the next largest group of tourists (15.1%), followed by other Asia (7.6%), Fiji (7.1%), other Europe (4.7%), New Zealand (3.7%) and Papua New Guinea (3.1%).
The most common reason for visitors visiting the Solomon Islands during the quarter was for Business and Conference (33.4%).
This was followed by Other Reason (31.7%), Holiday and Vacation (17.7%), Visit Friends/Relatives (15.2%), and 2.0% for Transit and Stop over.
-SINSO Press
