eTN The new Solomon Islands government is saying it wants to see tourism plans and activities get off the ground within the next four years, and one of the first steps towards that is a plan to reduce airfares into Solomon Islands.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare admitted that air travel costs to and from Solomon Islands is expensive in comparison to other world travel destinations. The prime minister said if Solomon Islands is to get its pie of the tourism dollars and attract more tourists into the country, it needs to put in place mechanisms to provide affordable airfares as well as reliable air services.

Prime Minister Sogavare promised that the government he leads will do all it can to ensure fair and affordable airfares which can attract travelers to Solomon Islands is in place. "One way of doing that is to allow more airline competition which could bring down costs in air fares. This may include the acceptance of an additional airline services in the country," he said.

Sogavare also hinted a proposal made by previous governments to upgrade domestic terminals to international standards but were never fulfilled. He said the upgrading of Munda airport will be a priority of his government to attract tourists, mostly Australians and New Zealanders into Solomon Islands' tourism hub. 

He said that to have a second internationally recognized and equipped airport is very important for the country's tourism industry and, once his new government settles down, it will take up the plan to build Munda airfield in Western Province to
international standard.

The prime minister also said such development will be in line with the development of tourism industry in the country.