HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Xinhua) — Despite its palm tree-lined shores and idyllic coral reefs, the Pacific nation of Solomon Islands remains relatively untouched in terms of tourism.

With an average of just 30,000 international visitors per year — compared to Fiji’s 1 million — visitors to the Solomon Islands need only to take a few steps outside the capital of Honiara to find untapped natural beauty, friendly locals and millennia-old culture.

Thanks to the newly established diplomatic relationship between China and the Solomon Islands, more Chinese will now be able to experience this rare island paradise, roughly 2,000 km from Australia’s northeast coast.

In a recent interview, Tourism Solomons CEO Josefa Tuamoto told Xinhua he hopes that the official friendship with China will help grow Solomon Islands tourism industry by raising the country’s profile and stirring foreign investment.

However, he added that it is important for the industry to grow sustainably so as not to become commoditized, damaging the country’s unique appeal.

China’s coming into the destination will firstly push people to know about the Solomons, and it will probably attract Chinese investors into the destination also, Tuamoto said.