Tourism
Having Confidence and Faith in the Solomon Islands
That's why the Kennedys are investing there
Shane Kennedy and his wife Susan, of Stradbroke Islands, Queensland, have moved to where angels tread with great caution.
Their family company, Solomon Island Resorts, has bought the King Solomon and Gizo Hotels in the Solomon Islands, from a bust Papua New Guinea hotel business.
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Given the collapse of the Solomon Islands economy, including tourism, due to several years of violent political unrest, the investment is a big act of faith in the country.
Kennedy makes no bones about that: "A lot of people tried to talk us out of it. But we really have confidence in the country," he told Pacific Magazine.
"We have had a tremendous amount of help in getting the deal through. Everyone in government, from cabinet ministers to every department and official couldn't have been quicker helping complete formalities."
Now that they have taken the plunge, what is in store for the two hotels? A lot of upgrading and renovations, beginning with the delivery (in April) of the first container of new linen and furnishings, and then the progressive upgrading of rooms at the King Solomon, with work on the Gizo Hotel to follow.
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"In the next four weeks," said Kennedy, speaking at the end of March, "Honiara will begin to notice the difference."
The eye-opener at the King Solomon will be the appearance of a French style restaurant, specialising in seafood, run by Steward Murglar, a top Brisbane chef.
"I think Honiara is really looking for a nice place," Kennedy says.
Business for the two hotels has been definitely very slow, with visitors discouraged by the bad times the Solomon Islands have experienced. It is definitely picking up, Kennedy says. He's been contacted by Wilson Ne'e, of Solomon Airlines, to talk about holiday packages.
In fixing the two hotels, the Kennedys have a wealth of experience to draw on. They have a long track record of renovating old Stradbroke buildings by turning them into upmarket chalet-class accommodation. He recently completed a strata title development.
"I know that a lot of Stradbroke people will want to come to the Solomon Islands because they don¹t like cities," he says.
The 3000 permanent residents of Stradbroke Island, a 35 kilometres by 10 kilometres wide slab of land off Brisbane, the Queensland state capital, are an insular lot and he predicts that this trait will persuade many Stradbrokers to head for Honiara.
The Kennedys went to the Solomon Islands 25 years ago for their honeymoon and stayed at the Hibiscus Hotel, the somewhat basic establishment that stood where the King Solomon Hotel stands now.
Just what is about the Solomon Islands that is of such extraordinary appeal to the Kennedys, who know Vanuatu and Fiji pretty well, and Indonesia, and a few other places also? They have returned every year since their honeymoon.
They've been to Gizo, Munda, and done and seen the usual things that are done and seen by other visitors.
"We just fell in love with the people, the natural beauty, the jungle down to the sea," Kennedy says.
"The average Solomon Islander is a very easy person. We feel totally at ease walking through town and the market." Before the civil war, the Solomon Islands attracted about 6000 to 7000 tourists a year, mainly divers, and a steady stream of business and bureaucratic traffic. The dive trade has been recovering.
