Roderick Bay sets to bounce back from pandemic

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

RODERICK Bay Beach Bangalow in the Central Province says it looks forward to the opportunities 2023 will bring following the reopening of international borders.

It also anticipates an increase in demand of both international and domestic travellers who wish to spend timeout with families and friends on a jaw dropping adventure and journey away from home for this New Year.

Roderick Bay Beach Bangalow is well known for its fun activities like snorkeling around the World Discoverer, village tour, cultural activities, bird watching, zip-line across world discoverer and it also presents you with its delicious Island recipes that are healthy and looks impressive (tastes great).

Zip-line across world discoverer. Photo By RODERICK BAY BEACH BANGALOW.

Operating manager for Roderick Bay Beach Bangalow Patrick Sara told Sun paper the Tourism industry is one of the sectors that is hit the hardest by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“The global pandemic has crippled almost all local operators,” Sara said.   

“We (tourism Operators) were down-hearted and hopeless thinking that that is the end of our business knowing in mind that borders will remain closed and so we were really discouraged to go on,” he added.

But amidst the chaos and uncertainty one stream of opportunity was discovered.

“I have discovered the sudden increase of domestic tourists with high demand flooding my business.

“I know my brother operators will articulate to you this same line of experience.

“At first, I did not believe receiving enquiries and bookings from local guests who are inspired to travel out from Honiara to Roderick Bay.

“All those years I thought only white people are tourists but am wrong, everyone else needs time out,” he said.

Sara said the increasing demand of domestic tourists has made him to see the silver lining covid-19 has brought to local operators.

The opportunity brought forward had enabled him to sell out its domestic packages that qualify him to keep his operations up and running.

He smiled and said entering into the New Year 2023 the demand is starting to increase rapidly and therefore, his team is looking at expanding the existing bangalows and also looking at erecting new ones.

This is to cater for number of guests.

They will also start to make more day cruises but they will first improve all their outdoor facilities and having additional outdoor activities for day trippers.

The World Discoverer. Photo credit, RODERICK BAY BEACH BANGALOW.

Sara also highlighted the challenges his operation is poised to face in the new year.

He stated for any business to move forward they need finance.

He said he wants to do things his ways, meeting peoples demand, but only finance will determine these things because this industry is very demanding when it comes to maintaining the Minimum Standard.

“The Minimum Standard is highly recommended and operators must meet it.

“The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has reminded us to meet the minimum standard but we operators do not have sufficient finance to back and empower us to meet the Minimum Standard.

“Frankly, meeting the Minimum Standard is very challenging,” Sara stressed.

He adds that despite all these hiccups his team at Roderick Bay Beach Bangalow is looking forward to new and exciting opportunities that this New Year 2023 will bring forth.

Sara further adds by encouraging his colleague operators to accept challenges the journey offers.

“Do not wait, work hard and be creative and maintain what we have.”

He says he believes Solomon Islands is a country that has a high potential in terms of tourism in the Pacific.

“We are not rich in tourism but we are rich in other resources and our culture is very unique and diverse,” Sara said.

Speaking of his education, Sara said he finished his high school level of study at Vonunu Provincial Secondary School, Vella la Vella Islands, Western Province.

“I finished my education level at form three. I am a village boy.

“Nurturing Roderick Bay Beach Bangalow is my late uncle’s dream, my mum’s older brother.

“My late uncle started building the Roderick Bay Beach Bangalow dream in 1997.

“He couldn’t see his dream flourishing because he is growing old so he decided to pass it on to me to carry on his dream,” he said.

Sara says his uncle said to him ‘You will not fail, you are the right person for this dream, carry on and never back down.

“With zero knowledge of the Tourism industry, I accepted his request and push my way through. And in 2002, I bid farewell to my uncle,” he said.

From then on, Sara said he started to attend minor tourism trainings organised by the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau before it was rebranded to Tourism Solomons.

Roderick Bay Beach Bangalow bangalows.Photo credit RODERICK BAY BEACH BANGALOW.

“That is the time I started to pick up, and get to know more about the industry, from then on these workshops started to make the tourism industry part of my interest.

“I struggled to build three Bangalows. In 2013, I was awarded one tourism training opportunity in New Zealand for six months. I went over and make good use of the opportunity provided.

“So with the little I have I put my efforts together not to compete with other operators but work towards preserving and reviving of culture.

“This is because culture plays an important role in this industry.

“My other brother operators do their business in their own styles – more of modern styles.

“But for my business here am using culture to attract tourist both domestic and international.

“I am very proud of using local materials to build and decorate Roderick Bay Beach Bangalow.”

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