Digital payments, faster visa processing and secure digital identity systems could help Papua New Guinea attract more international visitors, expand tourism markets and ensure local operators benefit from the industry’s growth.
NuiPay Chief Operating Officer Trevor Manokore outlined the role of digital technology in reducing barriers to tourism during Session 8 of the PNG Tourism Summit on 14 October, which focused on digital transformation and technology-driven solutions.
Manokore said technology should address practical challenges and deliver tangible benefits to people and businesses.
“Technology is only really important if you can demonstrate that it impacts a person. If it makes a difference to someone, that is actually why it's important,” he said.
He highlighted the modernisation of Papua New Guinea’s visa processing system, developed with the Immigration and Citizenship Authority, as a key step towards making the country more accessible.
Manokore said an artificial intelligence-driven system had reduced visa processing times from two to three weeks to about four minutes for 95% of applications. It automatically processes eligible low-risk applications, including short-term tourist and business visas.
Long processing times could discourage prospective visitors from choosing PNG, prompting them to consider alternative destinations such as Fiji or Bali, he said.
Digital payments for local operators
Manokore said the next priority was making it easier for visitors to discover, book and pay for tourism experiences while ensuring revenue reaches the local communities and businesses providing those services.
NuiPay is working with government agencies, including the Department of Information and Communication Technology, and tourism stakeholders to develop digital solutions connecting tourism products with customers.
He stressed that payment systems must be affordable and straightforward, particularly for small businesses and community-based tourism operators.
Using a hypothetical K20 transaction, Manokore said operators would have little incentive to adopt digital payments if K5 went towards processing fees.
High charges, complicated processes and delayed settlements could discourage adoption and push businesses back towards cash, limiting the benefits of digitalisation.
NuiPay aims to automate revenue collection and enable near-real-time payments to tourism service providers, helping businesses manage their operations more efficiently, he said.
Digital identity for tourism services
Jesse Biribudo, DICT’s executive manager for digital government coordination, governance and digital public infrastructure, presented the department’s ServicePass digital identity initiative.
ServicePass provides verifiable digital identity credentials through the Service Wallet, allowing users to prove their identity when accessing participating services.
Biribudo said digital identity could reduce reliance on photocopied documents that can be lost, stolen or falsified, while allowing users to share only the information required for a transaction.
The system is intended to accommodate international visitors as well as Papua New Guinean citizens. Those without smartphones could register through an agent and receive a QR card, with biometric checks used for identity verification.
Potential tourism applications include hotel check-ins and local travel services, alongside uses in banking and the digital issuance of credentials by participating organisations.
The presentations underscored the need to coordinate digital identity, payment infrastructure and government systems to improve the visitor experience and connect PNG’s tourism offerings with wider markets.
The goal is a smoother journey from visa applications and destination discovery to bookings and payments, with more tourism revenue reaching local providers.
Manokore said NuiPay looked forward to working with government agencies and tourism operators to reduce barriers for visitors and improve business operations.
The session formed part of the PNG Tourism Summit 2026 programme examining how digital transformation could support tourism development and improve service delivery.
