19/10/2022
Solomon Islands drops inbound PCR requirement
Effective immediately, the Solomon Islands Government has announced incoming travellers to the Solomon Islands no longer require to undergo a PCR test for COVID-19 72 hours prior to arrival.
However, inbound passengers will still be required to provide proof of full vaccination on arrival into the country.
Tourism Solomons Acting CEO, Head of Corporate Services, Dagnal Dereveke said the national tourism office had been anticipating the announcement for quite some time.
Along with other tourism bodies and business organisations within the country, he said, Tourism Solomons had been vociferous in calling for the PCR requirement to be dropped, and it was a “relief” to see the government finally take the decision.
Mr Dereveke said he viewed the outcome as the drawing of the curtain on what he described as a long and very tough period for the Solomon Islands which endured a border closure spanning more than 800 days.
“Our tourism industry has survived numerous crises over the years but we are a strong and resilient people,” he said.
“We are very confident with effort, good marketing and profile rebuild we can get back to where we were before the pandemic in relatively short time, especially with the Australian summer school holidays fast approaching.”
Prior to the pandemic, the Solomon Islands was hosting some 28,000 international visitors annually with Australian traffic constituting around 45 per cent of the total.
“Our primary focus is to regain those Australian numbers as quickly as possible,” he said.
