Boosting Tourism
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Photo Credit: Robert Taupongi 3. Baseline Analysis 3.1 INTRODUCTION Tourism operations and/or activities are generally focused The following section summarizes the E&S conditions in on: Western Province. An analysis of the existing situation • Diving and snorkeling provides the basis for identifying and assessing risks and opportunities that may arise from future tourism • Kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, and water-based development. Information presented in this section is activities gained from a combination of secondary data, in-field • Limited surfing opportunities observations, and stakeholder and community consultation. • WWII tours 3.2 TOURISM IN WESTERN PROVINCE • Game fishing In 2016, a total of 46,748 people entered Solomon Islands; about half (49.6 percent) of them were visitors, with a • Lagoon tours majority (40 percent) coming from Australia. Of these • Hiking, nature conservation, and bird watching visitors, only 32.9 percent were vacationers, while others visited families and friends, for business, or were in transit • Cultural village visits (SIG: National Statistics Office 2016). • Small cruise ship and live-aboard A higher proportion of tourists visited Western Province • Some cruising yacht tourism in Western Province, with compared to other places in the country. International limited services for yachts flight services from Brisbane, Australia, to Munda in Western Province started in 2019, but the majority of Infrastructure to support these activities is limited, with tourists go through the capital city of Honiara and transit most sites accessible via small sea ray boats, including on connecting flights to Gizo, Munda, and Seghe. Gizo Airport, which is situated on its own island 15 minutes by boat from Gizo township. Tourism in Western Province is still in its infancy with limited development of international tourism operations and small While accommodations are abundant, tourism numbers of leisure visitors to the country. Western Province accommodation have limited facilities and are not well has the raw foundation for an outstanding visitor experience maintained and advertised, resulting in an under-utilization with a rich culture and varied way of life, pristine lagoons of total available rooms by international tourists (IFC and diving opportunities, and remarkable landscapes to 2018). The documented locations of existing tourism explore (IFC 2018). accommodation and a total of 41 operators (IFC 2020) in the corridor is included in Map 5. PAGE 26 In 2018, IFC undertook a tourism needs assessment that Both of these standards are detailed in Table 22. outlined recommendations on various areas for improvement Tourism Investment Incentives Package 2017 for tourism operations (IFC 2018) to develop a successful Depending on the investment size or nature of the tourist tourism market in Western Province. Findings from the activity and/or project, investors may be able to apply assessment include: for the Tourism Investment Incentives Package 2017 (SIG • A limited amount of market-ready accommodation 2017a) from the MCT, including: and other tourism operators • Tax holiday and/or offset incentives • Widespread tourism sites with limited patronage • Duty exemptions on some capital goods and equipment • Insufficient human-resource capacity not manufactured in Solomon Islands • Low success rate in engaging local communities in • Duty exemptions on renewable-energy equipment the travel and tourism economy • Ability for some businesses to sell privately generated In 2018, the MCT set the Minimum Standards and excess electricity back to the grid Classification for Tourism Accommodation in 2018 to guide Incentives are aimed at investors focused on tourism operators to develop offerings to international standards accommodation, marine and diving tourism, and aviation. (SIG: Ministry of Culture and Tourism 2018); these standards, There are also incentives for partnering with Solomon Islands however, are not compulsory or enforceable and have no locals and upgrading existing accommodation facilities. legal standing. The ministry also developed Towards a Code of Practice for the Tourism Industry. Map 5: Tourism Providers in Western Province (IFC 2020) ¯ Vonunu ×Ö ×Ö Kolombangara Island Ghizo Island ×Ö Ranongga ×Ö ×Ö ×Ö Gizo×Ö ×Ö×Ö Ringgi New Georgia ×Ö×Ö ×Ö×Ö ×Ö ×Ö ×Ö ×Ö Noro ×Ö Munda ×Ö×Ö×Ö ×Ö ×Ö ×Ö ×Ö Rendova ×Ö ×Ö Seghe ×Ö×Ö Vangunu Island ×Ö ×Ö Tetepare ×Ö ×Ö Peava ×Ö Existing tourism providers Identified site boundaries 0 6.5 km Project study corridor Ward boundaries PAGE 27 3.3 SOLOMON ISLANDS GOVERNANCE Aid Program (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Solomon Airlines. 3.3.1 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES RELEVANT TO TOURISM DEVELOPMENT Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources: This ministry Solomon Islands is a parliamentary democracy and part of is responsible for fisheries management, development, the British Commonwealth, with the head of state as the and operations. It devises and implements policies in British monarch represented by the governor-general and accordance with the Fisheries Management Act 2015 and the head of government as the prime minister. Solomon administers community-based marine protected areas. Islands is a unitary state with a national and a provincial Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster government, which was established under the Provincial Management and Meteorology (MECDM): This ministry Government Act 1981 and amended in 1997 (SIG: Ministry is in charge of sustainable environmental management, of Provincial Government 2018). climate-change adaptation and mitigation, disaster risk While Solomon Islands has organized government management, and meteorological services for Solomon structures, legislations, and law enforcement, customary Islands. It is responsible for the following environmental laws: ways of life continue to play a significant role in various • Environment Act 1998 sectors in the country, particularly in terms of land tenure, ownership, and/or utilization of land. • Environmental Regulations 2008 The following government agencies are responsible • Protected Areas Act 2010 for administration of legislation applicable to tourism • Protected Areas Regulations 2012 development. • Wildlife Protection and Management Act 1998 Central Government Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey: This ministry • Wildlife Protection and Management Regulations 2008 is responsible for land administration in the country. Their Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and duties include registration of land, collection of land rents, Immigration: This ministry is responsible for the recordkeeping of land records/documentation, and ensuring formulation and implementation of economic and of statutory requirements for land surveys and valuations. industrial development strategies for Solomon Islands. Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT): This ministry It also manages the procedures and facilitates investments is responsible for the formulation and implementation of in the country. tourism policies and programs, including legislation and The Ministry of Health and Medical Services: This regulations, tourism education and training, tourism projects, ministry is responsible for the following environmental laws: product development, planning, research and development, and provincial tourism coordination and development. • Environmental Health Act (Cap 99) Tourism Solomon Islands (formerly Solomon Islands • Environmental Health (Public Health Act) Regulations Visitors Bureau): Under the MCT, Tourism Solomon Islands 1980 functions as the marketing office for tourism in the country. Ministry of Home Affairs: This ministry is responsible Tourism Task Force/Tourism Working Group: The for the Gaming and Lotteries Act 2004 and processing task force was created in 2010 through IFC’s support applications for gaming/lottery licenses. and aimed to improve the country’s tourism investment Gaming and Lotteries Board: Under the Gaming and climate through strengthening the country’s marketing Lotteries Act 2004, the board is responsible for granting strategies, improving processes for tourism developers or revoking the commercial gaming, casino, and lotteries and transportation infrastructure, and boosting capacity licenses, as well as its renewal; it also manages the gaming building and quality standards in the industry (World Bank licenses across the different provinces of Solomon Islands. Group 2019). The Tourism Working Group has developed over The board is under the Ministry of Finance and Treasury. the years and its key stakeholders include Australian Aid (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), the New Zealand PAGE 28 Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional The department also manages town planning on registered Strengthening: This ministry is responsible for the government land and allocates land for residential, business, administration of the nine provincial governments in school, and other community uses as required. People can Solomon Islands. Under the Provincial Government Act apply for registration of lands within the province, and 1997, the ministry must define its core functions, programs, the department collects associated fees and processes and priorities through its planning processes and devolve these requests on behalf of the central government. these functions to provincial governments, enabling them Town and Country Planning Board: The board overseas to deliver services at the provincial and community levels. development