Photo: 2023 Regional Tourism Consultation Workshop participants made up of the New Guinea Islands tourism industry and the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority.
The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) has commenced a series of regional consultations on the development of a new PNG National Tourism Policy and Marketing Strategy.
The TPA, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI), will travel across PNG from 9-28 February 2023 to speak with tourism industry stakeholders as part of its National Tourism Policy 1995 review.
The regional consultations will cover PNG’s four regions—New Guinea Islands (Kokopo), Momase (Madang), Highlands (Mt Hagen) and Southern (Port Moresby).
The first consultations, held on 9-10 February in Kokopo, were attended by the region’s tourism industry stakeholders, operators, guides, event organizers and provincial tourism offices.
Attendees discussed PNG tourism policy reform issues, priorities, and options; the policy development process; future opportunities for New Guinea Islands’ tourism industry; and the role of the TPA in enabling, marketing, and coordinating the tourism sector.
PNG TPA Chief Executive Officer Eric Mossman Uvovo said consultations on the new National Tourism Policy and Marketing Strategy were critical, and would inform subsequent legislative amendments to the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority Act 1993.
“Since the establishment of PNG’s National Tourism Policy 1995 and Destination Marketing Strategy 2018-2022, a lot has changed,” Mr. Mossman Uvovo said.
“The tourism industry is primarily driven by the private sector, so these consultations are important to ensure the new policy helps PNG to develop tourism sustainably, maximise its resources, and position itself as a potential lead Pacific tourism destination.”
Alongside these private sector consultations, PSDI held interviews with multiple PNG government departments and agencies to gauge views on the policy and potential avenues of reform.
PSDI is an ADB technical assistance program undertaken in partnership with the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. PSDI supports ADB's 14 Pacific developing member countries to improve the enabling environment for business and to achieve inclusive, private sector-led economic growth.
It is supporting the TPA to rebuild the PNG tourism sector following COVID-19, and to undertake longer-term tourism sustainability and resilience planning.
The new PNG National Tourism Policy is scheduled for completion by April 2023.
The PNG TPA is a statutory body funded by the Government of PNG. The ultimate goal of the TPA is to market and promote PNG to the world as a desirable travel destination.
Article courtesy of PNG Tourism Promotion Authority
