SOLOMON ISLANDS TOURISM TRAILS FINAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1 SOLOMON ISLANDS TOURISM TRAILS FINAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS Finalised: 19 September 2019 STRONGIM BISNIS Level 1, Alvaro Building, Mendana Avenue, Honiara, Solomon Islands P +677 25664 [email protected] STRONGIMBISNIS.COM.SB 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ........................................................................................................................ 5 List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... 6 Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 7 Glossary of Key Terms ......................................................................................................... 8 Executive summary .............................................................................................................. 9 WWII Trail .................................................................................................................. 9 Western Province Trail ........................................................................................... 10 1 Project background and introduction ................................................................ 13 1.1 Background to this Assignment ................................................................ 13 2 Tourism and Destination Management in the Solomon Islands ....................... 15 2.1 Methodology ............................................................................................... 15 2.2 Destination management in the Solomon Islands .................................. 15 3 Overview of the WWII and Western Province Trails ........................................... 17 4 Visitor flows and recommendations for the WWII Trail ..................................... 19 4.1 Overview of identified flows....................................................................... 19 4.2 Vision for the WWII Trail ............................................................................. 19 4.3 Map of the proposed WWII Trail ................................................................ 20 4.4 Flows and visitors on the WWII Trail ......................................................... 21 4.4.1 Current visitors .............................................................................. 22 4.4.2 Future visitors ............................................................................... 22 4.5 Identification of challenges and possible solutions ................................ 23 4.6 Interventions needed to strengthen the WWII Trail ................................. 25 4.6.1 Enhance collaboration ................................................................. 25 4.6.2 Information provision.................................................................... 26 4.6.3 Product development ................................................................... 27 4.6.4 Safety of boats and facilities ........................................................ 29 4.6.5 Transport frequency and quality .................................................. 29 4.6.6 High costs of investments and general operations .................... 29 4.6.7 Weather impact on travel plans ................................................... 29 4.6.8 Quality of accommodation ........................................................... 29 4.6.9 Market awareness ........................................................................ 30 4.6.10 Telecommunications .................................................................. 30 4.6.11 Staff training ............................................................................... 30 4.7 Action plan for development ..................................................................... 30 5 Visitor flows and recommendations for the Western Province Trail ................. 35 5.1 Overview of identified flows....................................................................... 35 5.2 Vision for the Western Province Trail ........................................................ 36 5.3 Map of the Western Province Trail ............................................................ 36 5.4 Flows and visitors on the Western Province Trail .................................... 38 5.4.1 Current visitors .............................................................................. 38 5.4.2 Future visitors ............................................................................... 39 5.5 Identification of challenges and possible solutions ................................ 42 5.6 Interventions needed to strengthen the Western Province Trail ............ 43 5.6.1 Enhance collaboration ................................................................. 44 5.6.2 Information provision.................................................................... 44 5.6.3 Safety of boats and facilities ........................................................ 46 3 5.6.4 Transport frequency and quality .................................................. 46 5.6.5 High costs of investments and general operations .................... 47 5.6.6 Weather impact on travel plans ................................................... 47 5.6.7 Quality of accommodation ........................................................... 47 5.6.8 Market awareness ........................................................................ 47 5.6.9 Telecommunications .................................................................... 47 5.6.10 Staff training ............................................................................... 47 5.7 Timeline and actions for development ..................................................... 48 6 Conclusion, Recommendations and Next Steps ............................................... 52 6.1 WWII Trail recommendations .................................................................... 52 6.2 Western Province Trail recommendations ............................................... 52 6.3 National level recommendations .............................................................. 52 6.3.1 Infrastructure development ......................................................... 53 6.3.2 Communications infrastructure ................................................... 53 6.3.3 Land transport infrastructure ...................................................... 53 6.3.4 Sea transport infrastructure ........................................................ 54 6.3.5 Air transport .................................................................................. 54 6.3.6 Operational capacity building ...................................................... 55 6.3.7 Sustainability ................................................................................. 58 6.4 Establish national parks ............................................................................ 59 6.4.1 Waste management ..................................................................... 59 6.4.2 Equipment purchases .................................................................. 60 6.5 Next steps ................................................................................................... 61 References ........................................................................................................................ 62 Appendix ............................................................................................................................ 63 A. Methodology ...................................................................................................... 63 A.1 Workshop background ............................................................................... 63 A.2 Workshop process ..................................................................................... 63 A.2.1 Prioritisation criteria ..................................................................... 66 A.2.2 Rating scale for interventions ...................................................... 67 B Background for WWII Trail development ........................................................... 68 B.1 Overview of flows and prioritisation for trail ............................................. 68 B.2 Trail segment maps and description ........................................................ 73 B.2.1 Guadalcanal Province .................................................................. 73 B.2.2 Central province ............................................................................ 74 C Background for Western Province Trail development ....................................... 76 C.1 Overview of flows and prioritisation for trail ............................................. 76 C.2 Trail segment maps and descriptions ...................................................... 82 C.2.1 Munda ............................................................................................ 82 C.2.2 Seghe ............................................................................................. 83 C.2.3 Gizo ................................................................................................ 84 C.3 Workshop participants ............................................................................... 86 D Further information............................................................................................ 88 D.1 Honiara VIP Workshop invitation .............................................................. 88 D.2 Honiara stakeholder