After more than 800 days shut off from the outside world, Solomon Islands has become the latest country to reopen after COVID-19 protocols, with the first flight touching down in Honiara Friday afternoon.
The small Pacific nation opened its borders for the first time since early in the COVID-19 pandemic, and those arriving on Friday were greeted with necklaces and a performance by O'o drummers from Malaita province.
In the arrivals hall, a pan pipe band played traditional songs to entertain the country's first tourists since early 2020.
The small country of 700,000 people — which sits about 2,000 kilometres north-east of Cairns — became a surprise focal point during this year's election campaign after its Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare signed a security pact with China.
It caused fierce debate during the campaign, sparking fears China is planning a military base in the country — speculation both China and Solomon Islands have denied.
Mr Sogavare has since welcomed Foreign Minister Penny Wong, with the enigmatic Solomons Prime Minister reassuring Ms Wong there were no plans for a base.
But Friday marks the first time tourists — and the outside world in general — have been able to enter the country without the direct approval of the Solomon Islands government.
In that time, China has completed major infrastructure projects for the small nation, including a new stadium as it prepares to host next year's Pacific Games.
At the airport in Brisbane, Malina Rawlinson, a Solomon Islander from the country's western province, said she was over the moon to return home.
"I didn't sleep last night," she said. "It will be amazing to see my family again."
She said the government's decision to scrap quarantine was an "added bonus".
Anyone entering Solomon Islands was set to endure six days quarantine, but that was then reduced to three days.
This week, the government scrapped quarantine altogether, only requiring full COVID vaccination and a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to travel.
Tourism is still a small sector for the Solomon Islands economy, with 28,000 international visitors coming in 2019 before COVID took hold.
It pales in comparison to nearby Fiji, which welcomed just short of 900,000 visitors in 2019.
Nearby Vanuatu, which welcomes 250,000 international arrivals in 2019, also opened its borders on Friday, for the first time since March 2020.
Arrivals no longer confined to government vehicles
In Honiara, local businesses were eagerly awaiting the arrival of tourists for the first time in years.
Betty Solobol, a market vendor operating opposite the Honiara Airport terminal, said she had mixed reactions about the border reopening.
"I'm happy because the past two years, I keep seeing people arriving into Solomon Islands go past my market in [government] enclosed vehicles," she said.
"But today I'm happy because I don't have to see that — they are free.
"At the same time, I'm still afraid that the government has re-opened the borders because we will be exposed to COVID-19 and other sickness."
