The Solomon Islands are launching a new look on the international tourism stage with a global brand refresh.
Entitled ‘Hapi Isles – Real, Rare, Raw’, the initiative draws on the destination’s authenticity, adventure, culture and conservation through a distinctive new identity.
Announcing the initiative, which references a nickname bestowed upon the destination in the 1960s, Tourism Solomons CEO Andrew Nihopara said the underlying ethos of the new campaign was to build a clear understanding of what makes Solomon Islands distinct from anywhere else on the planet.
“For the first time, we have been able to distil the very essence of our Hapi Isles into a brand promise that captures exactly what today’s experience-seeking traveller is searching for, a place that remains genuinely real, remarkably rare and wonderfully raw,” Mr Nihopara said.
The nickname ‘Hapi Isles’ (the Pijin English version of ‘Happy Islands’) originates from the 1965 book The Happy Isles: A Diary of the Solomons by former British District Officer and wartime coastwatcher Dick C. Horton.
The initiative, which will be rolled out in coming months, includes a new logo and suite of collateral replacing the famous dugout canoe logo and the ‘Solomons Is.’ branding introduced in 2018.
Mr Nihopara said tourism experiences in the Solomons include world-class diving on WWII wrecks and pristine coral reefs, waters teeming with marine life, uncrowded surf breaks and eco-trekking through ancient rainforests.
The islands are also home to a centuries-old living culture expressed through hundreds of languages spread across the nation’s 992-island archipelago.
“For too long, the Solomon Islands has been viewed through a generic South Pacific lens that fails to capture its true character,” added Mr Nihopara.
“The Hapi Isles – Real, Rare, Raw platform moves the destination beyond pre-existing perceptions, showcasing experiences that remain increasingly difficult to find anywhere else in the world.”
