SI & PRC to sign air-services agreement for direct flights between 2 countries starting early this year

The Government is now working on an air-services agreement it will sign in the first quarter of this year which will see direct flights between China and Honiara, Minister of Culture and Tourism Bartholomew Parapolo revealed today.

Parapolo, who is also the MP for Ngella, disclosed that in Tulagi when he and his constituency received new wharf and a ramp funded by the government.

The MP used the opportunity to underscore his government’s desire to boost tourism in the country.

Parapolo has also revealed the government’s objective to increase tourism by opening up to China.

“The good news for us, the Central Province and Solomon Islands, is once our government signs air services agreement with Mainland China (PRC) at the beginning of this year, maybe in the first quarter, we will receive more visitors from China. We will have direct flights from China to Honiara.”

He told his constituents that they should start preparing now.

“Our preparation to accommodate and to look after those people (Chinese) should go ahead now,” the MP for Ngella, said.

Parapolo has also assured his people that his ministry would continue to develop more tourism in Tulagi, the province and Solomon Islands.

“If we have infrastructures like good wharves, airports, you will see more visitors will come to visit us,” he said.

The MP further stated that tourists are also too scared to travel in open boats or banana boats here.

He pointed out that sometimes they (tourists) float or sink – so the story goes around so tourists’ will not be coming.

“We must understand that tourists pay insurance to move around the world so we must have good facilities so that we can move tourists around our islands,” the MP, said.

News@SBMOnline2023