Photo: Official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the reopening of the Tourist Information Centre The Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA), just like all National Tourism Offices around the world, is welcoming travellers back to Papua New Guinea with the reopening of the Tourist Information Centre at the Jackson's International Airport in Port Moresby, Friday 14th October, 2022.  The reopening of the Tourist Information Centre at Jackson's International Airport was officially opened by CEO of the PNGTPA Eric Mossman Uvovo and CEO of the National Airport Corporation Rex Kiponge.  The Centre, will be open from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4.30 pm, and will serve as an information hub for all tourism enquiries at Jackson's. There will be two friendly PNGTPA information officers who will be working full time at the Centre to assist enquirers.  The Centre is in an ideal location where visitors at the Jacksons International Airport can easily walk over to the Tourist Information Centre to get information regarding travel and tourism, especially accommodation, tours, hire car, events and attractions in Papua New Guinea.  The Tourist Information Centre was operational in 2019, however closed its doors when the COVID -19 Pandemic affected travel globally. In early 2021, the PNGTPA renovated the Tourist Information Centre, but handed it over to the Health Department and TrackPro to conduct PCR Testing for arriving passengers. The Centre was vacated early this year, allowing the PNGTPA and NAC to carry out further maintenance and renovation.  The PNGTPA is thankful to the National Airports Corporation for the enduring partnership over the last couple of years in helping promote tourism in the country. The PNGTPA and NAC will be signing an MOU to set up similar Tourist Information Centres in other airports across Papua New Guinea.   Article courtesy of PNGTPA

Photo: (L-R) Deputy Controller National Pandemic Response Dr. Daoni Esorom, Minister for Tourism Arts & Culture Hon. Isi Henry Leonard, PNGTPA CEO Mr. Eric Mossman Uvovo. Credit: PNGTPA Tourism Promotion Authority has announced the re-opening of Cruise Tourism into the country. Chief executive officer Eric Mossman Uvovo said that the cruise tourism sector before COVID-19 contributed US$20 million (K70.4 million) to the economy. Following the loosening of travel restrictions in PNG for commercial vessels, he said one of their main agenda items for the year was cruise tourism. “Cruise tourism as we know it today can be traced back to the beginning of the 1960s coinciding with the decline of transoceanic ship travel and introduction of the first nonstop air travel between USA and Europe,” Mr. Uvovo said. “This is according to its history, however, PNG cruise tourism is an essential part of our tourism program where visitors from all over the world can come and cruise around our beautiful islands and enjoy the breathtaking scenarios, including our blue seas, the lagoons, river ways, reef and many other beautiful sites we have across our islands.” As of August 4, 2022, the controller published new measures, and those measures call for the ports to be opened, which will now enable commercial ships, commerce, and most crucially cruise ships to enter the nation, according to Deputy Controller National Pandemic Response Dr. Daoni Esorom. He claimed that because most ports and borders were closed during the epidemic, residents had a difficult time. Now that the ports have reopened, he claimed that many people will profit from the companies that cruise ships offer when they arrive at ports. Cruise tourism is a significant economic driver, thus Isi Henry Leonard, minister of tourism, arts, and culture, is glad that the ports are now reopening to welcome cruise ships back into the nation.   Reference: Kamus, Maxine. Post-Courier (6 October 2022). “TPA Announces Re-Opening Of Cruise Tourism Sector”.

Photo credit: PNG Tourism Promotion Authority The PNG Tourism Promotion Authority is still encouraging travellers from all around the world to come to PNG. This was made known at the beginning of this month at the week-long roadshow, The Treasures of the Pacific, a tourism-focused event held in many Australian cities, including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, and Sydney. Alice Kuaningi, the marketing director for TPA in PNG, and Simon Dari Pih, the marketing officer, participated in the roadshow, which began in Brisbane and finished in Sydney a fortnight ago. Richard Skewes, the host event organiser, was pleased with how PNG was represented at the occasion and said that it was nice to see PNG participating in the road show with other Pacific Nations. “This is the first time in two years to showcase in person all of the South Pacific Products and its treasurers and is possibly be the first time in a long time PNG actually came out with its representatives unlike others which is wonderful,” Mr Skewes said. According to him, this is a yearly event that aims to enlighten and educate travel agents on travel and tourism in other nations. “More importantly to tell the people around the world that the Pacific Island countries are now open to receive tourists and people alike that needed time and break away from all that is happening around them,” Ms said. Travel brokers were told by Ms Kuaningi that PNG is a fascinating nation that may make a vacation trip unforgettable. “It was short timing to show and tell the World about our beautiful country but they were all impressed,” Ms Kuaninigi said. “Our primary objective is to come out here and inform our partners that our borders have opened up, we are now ready to receive tourists again.” Mr Skewes said: “It is important to start conversing with the travel trade partners and convince them that PNG is ready to receive tourists after the long delay caused by COVID-19 travel restrictions. “Our tourism operators, hotels and airlines depend on business and leisure travellers to keep their business operating.”   Reference: Teme, Kevin. Post-Courier (August 25, 2022). “PNG Attends South Pacific Roadshow”.

Photo credit: ADB A revival in tourism is expected to boost economic growth in the Pacific in 2022 and 2023, but the COVID-19 pandemic, rising commodity prices, and climate change continue to pose risks, according to the Asian Development Bank. After an average economic contraction of 0.6% in 2021, ADB’s Pacific Economic Monitor (PEM), released today, says the Pacific is expected to grow by 4.7% this year and 5.4% next year. The turnaround reflects rising visitor arrivals in the tourism-dependent economies of the Cook Islands, Fiji, and Palau, as well as expectations for Papua New Guinea’s minerals sector to benefit from the higher international commodity prices being driven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But the PEM says the Russia–Ukraine war also poses a risk to the subregion through rising import and transport costs, accelerating inflation, and increasing trade and fiscal deficits across the Pacific. Other risks to the Pacific’s recovery include community transmission of COVID-19 and some challenges in vaccine rollouts, as well as the region’s vulnerability to climate change and disasters. “This outlook for the Pacific is welcome after more than 2 years of negative growth caused by COVID-19, but significant risks to this recovery remain,” said ADB Director General for the Pacific Leah Gutierrez. “It is vital that development partners, stakeholders, and policy makers work closely together to ensure the continued recovery.” The latest PEM forecast represents an improvement on that seen in the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2022 released in April, which projected the Pacific’s economic growth to be 3.9% in 2022. The PEM identifies Pacific economies as among the most vulnerable in the world to climate change and disasters, and that the impact of these shocks—compounded by the fallout from COVID-19 and commodity price spikes—has been sizable. Ensuring sustainable growth will hinge on investing in climate and disaster resilience, the cost of which can exceed the governments’ own resources. The policy briefs in this issue of the PEM examine how the Pacific is pursuing climate financing from innovative sources, and how ADB is helping to respond to climate change and better manage disaster risk. Continuing efforts to strengthen public financial management will support fiscal sustainability, restore resource buffers, and re-establish a strong foundation for the next potential crisis. The PEM also examines a wide range of issues affecting Pacific economies, including: The role of climate finance in sustaining Fiji’s recovery amid rising inflation The North Pacific’s preparedness for sustainable investing Climate finance and water security in Kiribati and Tuvalu Climate adaptation and budgeting amid volatile revenue in Nauru Fiscal challenges of climate financing in Papua New Guinea Promoting climate and fiscal resiliency in Solomon Islands Counting the costs and preparing for the future of South Pacific economies The challenge of financing a climate emergency in Vanuatu ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.   Article courtesy of the ADB

Photo credit: Post Courier  Tourism Promotion Authority will invest a capital of K1 million into creating package tours to boost domestic tourism in the country. A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for a Travel Subsidy Partnership between Air Niugini Limited and PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) has been signed. TPA Chief Executive Officer Eric Uvovo stated that TPA is now looking at a mechanism to subsidise travel for package tours in order to promote domestic tourism in collaboration with the airline companies, particularly Air Niugini and PNG Air Limited. According to him, K1 million must be committed initially in order to create package tours, and TPA is considering frontloading K500,000 to Air Niugini for the package tours. “This is a partnership aimed at encouraging domestic tourism and bringing back tourism in Papua New Guinea post-COVID. “We want to help stimulate the industry and going forward, this is one way we believe will go a long way in assisting the tourism industry in the country,” he said. Paul Abbot, general manager of commercial operations for Air Niugini, claimed that nobody in the business, particularly those working in the airline, ground transportation, and hotel industries, benefited from the last two years. “It is important to put together programs like this which will drive benefit back into the local community and tourism industry. “Our objective is to make domestic tourism package products a lot more accessible to a lot people whether they are international coming inbound or more importantly domestic people looking at exploring the country,” he said. The packages will have the fundamental package structure, according to Mr. Abbot. He stated that the subsidy will be used to actually subsidise the packages so that the ground operators continue to receive their fair share of revenue in order to ensure that people on the ground are supported, whether it be through the use of hotels or rental cars. The subsidy will be deducted from the price of the package by K500 per person.   Reference: Kamus, Maxine. Post-Courier (22 July 2022). “TPA Invests K1 Million To Boost Domestic Tourism”.

Photo: The Wantok Shop - Crowne Plaza Residences Port Moresby The ‘Grim Jordan’ paintings on exhibition at the Crowne Plaza Residences Port Moresby, are on display both within the hotel and at the Port Terrace Restaurant & Bar. The unique art pieces showcase a mixture of local traditional culture intrinsically woven into a contemporary and quite detailed impression of various characters. There are five pieces on display, and they vary in size from 60cm (w) x 120cm (h) to 100cm (w) x 150cm (h). Each painting has a unique tale based on the personal experiences and memories of the artist Jordan Morris’ life in Papua New Guinea. General Manager, Kahlia O’Shea said, “We are thrilled to provide a platform for young Papua New Guinean talent to showcase artwork. Our surrounds make a great backdrop for Jordan’s beautiful art.” The Crowne Plaza brand entails provision for an offering outside the traditional hotel experience. The paintings will exhibit at Crowne Plaza Residences Port Moresby for 12 months, interested buyers can view the pieces and collect the painter’s contact details at the Port Terrace Restaurant & Bar. In addition, the hotel has also recently opened its very own convenience store, The Wantok Shop. Crowne Plaza Residences Port Moresby staff submitted ideas for names and a vote was cast. When asked about the name, General Manager, Kahlia O’Shea said, “The Wantok Shop is quite fitting as it caters to tenants and guests within the compound and surrounding area. It’s a nod to the reciprocal relationship of favours between kin and community members.” The convenience store is open seven days a week from 7am to 7pm and offers groceries, hot food and convenience items for guests checking in for business. The hotel is looking at sourcing products that are difficult to find in Papua New Guinea and will post updates on their social media accounts as they stock items.   Article courtesy of Crowne Plaza Residences Port Moresby

The rise of flights into particular provinces and the influx of people into the province are projected to boost domestic tourism in the coming months. According to Eric Uvovo, Chief Executive Officer of the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA), Domestic travel, he said, is projected to see a significant spike in domestic tourism now that the National General Elections have begun. Mr. Uvovo explained that this will result in a direct infusion of kina into the purses of individuals working in the service industry, such as taxis, hotels, lodges, restaurants, street markets, and arts and crafts. “Some of PNG TPA’s plans include product enhancement and quality which we will focus more on Kokoda. “PNG TPA will step up efforts on advertising and promotions of tours and travel packages and our first Travel and Tourism Magazine will be published in July,” Mr. Uvovo said. He stated that the TPA's focus is now on aggressively promoting the established travel packages now offered by PNG Air and that their communication is going well, with the addition of Air Niugini Limited as a partner with the PNG TPA and Tourism Operators. “Interested tourism industry members will be invited to partner with TPA to develop tour and travel packages as well to boost the domestic tourism industry.”   Reference: Kamus, Maxine. Post-Courier (21 June 2022). “Domestic Tourism Expected To Increase”. 

In the first quarter of 2022, Papua New Guinea welcomed 9845 overseas tourists after the COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted. Eric Mossman Uvovo, Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA), disclosed. He said that in the first quarter of 2022, the country had a 100 percent rise in overseas arrivals, or an additional 4933 people, compared to the same period last year. He said that, following years of steady development in visitor arrivals, PNG's numbers plummeted in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, which reduced foreign travel to its lowest level ever. However, in 2022, the numbers are gradually increasing as more destinations are added. “Out of the total arrivals to PNG 18 per cent came for business, two per cent on holiday, four per cent came to visit friends and relatives, 67 per cent came for employment, one per cent came for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) and the remaining eight per cent visited the country for other reasons. As many countries around the world have opened their international borders, arrivals are starting to pickup in 2022 and this healthy trend is expected to continue throughout the year and next year onwards,” Mr Uvovo said. He stated that their foreign agents and local operators have indicated that passengers are anxious to visit, but that the main difficulty has been with the Visa online application. “We have met with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship who assured us that they will look into this issue and tourists can apply for online visas to travel immediately,” he said.   Reference: Kamus, Maxine. Post-Courier (16 June 2022). “PNG Records Increase In Visitors In 2022 First Quarter”. 

Photo: Mr. Rajest Mandjakkat, CEO and Managing Director of Royal Arabian Computers going through the USD1.2m one-stop-shop Destination PNG Tourism Portal project with Amb Kalinoe, flanked by Mr. Sajeth Kumar, CEO and MD of IMBC Financial Professional Group and Dubai-based Trade and Investment Advisor to the PNG Embassy in Brussels (right) and an official of Royal Arabian Computers. One of the companies that recently signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with PNG during the Post Expo 2020 PNG-UAE Economic Cooperation Dialogue in Abu Dhabi on 20 April 2022, Royal Arabian Computers, has submitted an investment proposal to partner with the Tourism Promotion Authority to create a one-stop-shop Destination PNG Digital Portal. The company has been closely following the PNG Pavilion’s Expo journey during the thematic events, including the launch of the PNG SME Digital Economy and the Roundtable on Education, Science and the Green Economy where the Minister for Information, Communication and Technology Hon. Timothy Masiu and the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Isi Leonard presented keynote addresses respectively. Papua New Guinea’s Ambassador to Belgium and Expo2020 Commissioner General Mr. Joshua Kalinoe who is in Dubai for the completion of the PNG Pavilion’s decommissioning exercise met with the company and formerly received their proposal. Ambassador Kalinoe said the proposal is an effort of the positive engagement between the company and the Pavilion Lead staff of TPA, IPA and the Department of Information, Communication and Technology (DCIT) who worked tirelessly to have the company committed to the investment. “The Pavilion staff were aggressively implementing the target-based Participation Strategy as approved by the National Executive Council and the results have been overwhelming, well beyond my expectation, where 19 LOIs in trade, finance, banking, manufacturing, construction, tourism, mining, hydrocarbon, renewable energy, carbon trade and agriculture were signed. “In the next two months, we expect to receive some more formal investment proposals from the 19 LOIs in finance, digital banking, agriculture, information technology, hydrocarbon, mining and import/export infrastructure, including mobility and connectivity”, Ambassador Kalinoe said. Ambassador Kalinoe said the whole-of-government structure in implementing international events like the World Exposition 2020 with the leadership of the PNG Foreign Service represented by Kundu Brussels, has proven that international diplomacy is certainly relevant to achieving Papua New Guinea’s economic and visibility interests.

  The Melanesian Tourist Services (MTS) welcomes its newest motor vessel Kalibobo Express to Madang. During the launch ceremony, the vessel adorned members of the Madang business community, MTS clients and proud staff of the Madang Resort Hotel to an introductory cruise around Madang’s picturesque harbour. The ferry vessel, based at Madang Resort’s marina will soon offer Madang business houses, government departments, and visiting tourists regular inter-island scheduled services to nearby islands and destinations of the Bismark Sea.   The 22m aluminum catamaran, was custom built in Pattaya Thailand under the guise of seasoned business man Sir Peter Barter, MTS Managing Director. Sir Peter, a long-time catalyst and front runner in PNG tourism has long offered, branded and locally renowned Discovery Cruises and Expeditions as part of MTS tour packages under the Madang Resort and Niugini Dive Adventures. However, the new, Kalibobo Express brings a new focus to alternate PNG travel. Schedule for May and June The ferry will see affordable sea transfers between the islands of Karkar, Bagabag and Manam aswell as competitive fares to Wewak via Manam island out of Madang. Built for comfort and style, Kalibobo Express boasts speed and safety and will commence services in June carrying up to 140 passengers with crew. Fares are now selling, catering for adults and children accompanied with a competitive baggage allowance of 30kilos, with additional excess baggage and onboard freezer storage for perishable goods. The double story vessel is built with internal air-conditioned seating aswell as outdoor and an internal VIP cabin for that corporate client. Traveling within the Madang-Momase, Kalibobo Express will run on a weekly basis with the schedule out now.

Photo: Picture of Ramil meeting new friends in Tari. The country has welcomed the first two tourists from Dubai after the visitors were convinced by the beauty of Papua New Guinea displayed at the world expo in Dubai. Ruslan Tarpan and Ramil Shaidullin from Ukraine and Russia respectively visited the PNG pavilion at the expo2020 and were blown away by the images and videos about the country. They were also introduced to locally made products such as coffee, honey, artefacts and jewelry, which they purchased. The duo arrived in the country earlier in the week on a 10-day tour to several places in the country including Ambua Lodge in Tari, Karawari in East Sepik, Mt Hagen and Kokopo in East New Britain. “The people are very friendly, the nature is so beautiful and the food is great,” said an excited Ramil from the mountains of Ambua. Ramil who has now called himself Mangi Tari seems to love everything he comes across such as the decorations and masks in the lodges, artefacts and is interested to take them back to Dubai. “Everything is good but the internet is not good,” he told IPA Officer Mrs. Beverly Piawu. “But the main thing is that we are having a great experience in the green outbacks of PNG.” The duo chartered a plane to take them around their visits. During the Dubai world expo’s thematic week on Travel and Connectivity in January, the PNG Expo Team hosted an investment forum to promote the ICT and tourism sectors. The key message delivered during the forum was that digital technology in this century and access to broadband internet for our citizens and visitors would add value to the natural environment and cultural diversity of Papua New Guinea and therefore, PNG needed an integrated tourism and visitor connectivity infrastructure system. The team highlighted the call out for investors and experts that would help plan and deliver the connectivity system in a sustainable way. Expo Commissioner General and PNG Ambassador to Brussels and the European Union His Excellency Joshua Kalinoe said he was happy to see the results of expo starting to come into fruition. He said this was a result of the efforts put in by the team during the six-month long expo. He also stressed that PNG was an exotic country but it needs visitors to experience a mixture of both the modern and traditional means of PNG lifestyles so that even if they spend time on the remote mountains or islands they can still have access to internet and electricity.

Photo credit: Tourism Promotion Authority According to the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority, Papua New Guinea will soon be promoted as a tourist destination in the Gulf and Middle East areas (TPA). This comes after TPA and Across Borders Travel, a Dubai-based marketing and representation organization, signed a memorandum of agreement (MoU) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The deal was inked by Tourism Arts and Culture Minister Isi Henry Leonard and Across Borders Travel CEO Fabian Fernandes. Leonard stated that PNG's tourist business had never entered the Middle Eastern tourism market, that the MoU was a breakthrough, and that he aimed to acquire a market from the Gulf area. “PNG’s participation at the Dubai World Expo2020 will provide the leverage to effectively market PNG as a tourism destination in light of the opening of international borders,” he said. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a political and economic union of Arab states surrounding the Gulf, is looked after by Across Borders Travel. It was founded in 1981, with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain as members. Across Borders Travel was founded in 2013 and is a sales representative for seven cruise lines and 11 destination management businesses. TPA will get tourism and marketing expertise from Across Borders Travel as part of the MOU. It will also offer TPA information on travel and tourism in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East. TPA CEO Eric Uvovo and marketing director Alice Kuaningi were on hand to witness the signing.   Reference: The National (4 March 2022). “TPA signs deal to promote PNG in the Middle East”.

According to the current issue of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Pacific Economic Monitor (PEM), the Pacific economies are expected to return in 2022. While the Pacific region's GDP prediction was cut to -0.6 per cent in 2021 in the ADB study, the subregion is expected to increase by 4.7 per cent in 2022 as widespread immunization against coronavirus illness (COVID-19) allows borders to gradually reopen. This is intended to improve trade and tourism in the Cook Islands, Fiji, and Vanuatu, among other places. A brighter prognosis for Papua New Guinea's extractives industry is also expected to contribute considerably to this recovery. “As the Pacific region gradually reopens borders, safeguarding the health, resuming safe travel, strengthening economic management, and promoting fiscal sustainability will be key to ensuring a resilient recovery from COVID-19,” said ADB Director General for the Pacific Leah Gutierrez. According to the PEM, reopening to travellers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 is critical for the tourism industry's future. The number of tourists to Pacific sites has remained limited, with the majority of visitors arriving via travel bubble agreements with bilateral partners. However, due to dangers associated with the global rise of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant, these preparations had to be put on hold. For near-term tourism in the Pacific, a sustainable return to safe travel will be vital. This, in turn, will be determined by vaccine rollout success, which has been inconsistent, with near-universal coverage of eligible people in the Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue, and Palau, contrasting with relatively modest adoption in Melanesian nations. Other country issues and policy themes critical to mitigating risks to the Pacific's recovery are explored in the PEM. It discusses public finance sustainability in the Cook Islands through fiscal consolidation and state-owned enterprise reforms in the Marshall Islands and Palau. Other articles focus on specific aspects of economic recovery, such as female labour participation in Fiji, labour mobility initiatives in Kiribati and Tuvalu, and reducing the burden of noncommunicable illness in Niue, Samoa, and Tonga. The PEM also looks at topics that are important across the subregion when it comes to the sustainable management of fisheries resources. The PEM's policy briefs look at significant problems that will have a big impact on the Pacific's overall economic recovery after the COVID-19 crisis. The Lowy Institute's contribution estimates the time it will take Pacific countries to vaccinate their people and cautions that an unequal vaccine rollout would have long-term consequences for the region's growth. Another contribution from the Private Sector Development Initiative looks at the possibilities for tourism following COVID-19 and how rephrasing tourism goals and targets while including sustainability indicators might help people better comprehend tourism as a growth strategy. The final policy brief examines the topic of domestic resource mobilization and its role in ensuring the Pacific's public finances are sustainable. The Asian Development Bank is dedicated to establishing a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while continuing to fight extreme poverty. It was founded in 1966 and is owned by 68 people, 49 of them are from the region.   Reference: Asian Development Bank (14 December 2021). “Tourism to Help Pacific Growth Rebound in 2022, Says ADB Report the region”.

Photo credit: PM James Marape News Page - PNG Tourism Promotion Authority CEO Eric Mossman Uvovo, Tourism Minister Hon. Isi Henry Leonard, TPA Chairman Hon. Kennedy Wenge and PM Marape with children representing the four regions of the country at launching of the PNG Tourism Sector Development Plan 2022-2026 in Port Moresby. Prime Minister James Marape has pledged his government's complete support for the tourist industry, including in the 2022 Budget. He offered this guarantee in Port Moresby recently at the introduction of the Tourist Promotion Authority's PNG tourism sector growth plan 2022-2026. Tourism Arts and Culture Minister Isi Henry Leonard, TPA chairman Kennedy Wenge, and TPA chief executive officer Eric Uvovo were also present alongside Marape. Tourism, agriculture, sustainable forestry, sustainable fisheries, and downstream processing would all be priorities for Marape's government, according to him. “The next 10 years will see huge activity in various interventions we will do for our country,” he said. “What we are projecting in the next 10 years is a K200 billion economy.” Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey will announce in the 2022 Budget that the PNG economy will surpass K100 billion next year, according to Marape. “We are working with the Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Bank in restructuring our economy, refocusing our economy, putting our economy in the right place,” he said. “We are doing things in tough times, and tough times allow us to look at our priorities and lesser priorities. I am here to tell you that tourism, just like agriculture, can be engaged in by every person in the villages.” Marape urged everyone in the country to embrace tourism as their own. “Our citizens can contribute in a big way to tourism,” he said. “Generally, in our country, you find very caring and friendly people. Tourists who come here go back with fond memories of our country.” He said that his administration was encouraging everyone in the country, particularly youngsters, to participate in economic pursuits such as tourism. “That is why we have made this deliberate intervention to put money in banks so that you can do a start-up somewhere,” he said.   Reference: Post-Courier (15 November 2021). “Marape Assures Tourism Sector Of Govt Support”.

Photo credit: Travel Triangle Domestic tourism should be pushed today, argued Tourist, Arts and Culture Minister Isi Henry Leonard, since the tourism industry is being impacted by the Coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic. “The Covid-19 has awakened us to realise our full potential,” he said. “The answer is in culture and domestic tourism. We have to realign and re-strategise to get tourism up and going. “You don’t need to look outside for answers. “You need to look inside to address this global situation. “Culture is the product to boost the tourism industry that is largely affected by the pandemic. “Anywhere there is a cultural event, we support it. I promote the culture of this country.” Chief executive officer of the Tourism Promotion Authority, Eric Mossman Uvovo, said measures were in the works to promote domestic tourism. Locals and expats alike were interested in domestic airports and flights, he added. Packages with airlines have been promoted.   Reference: The National (22 September 2021). ‘Encourage local tourism’