Monday 5 September 2016

Papua New Guinea encouraged to embrace cruise tourism

Papua New Guinea has been encouraged to grasp the potential multi-million dollar benefits that cruise tourism could provide the country.

A World Bank study said US$4.5 million was generated from the industry last year and that amount was likely to increase.

Alotau, Rabaul, Kitava, Doini Island and Kiriwina all received economic boosts.

A spokesperson, Nimarta Chung-Banga, said that, for example, each ship that visited Kokopo brought around US$100,000 to the town.

Ms Chung-Banga said infrastructure improvements were needed and locals needed to be educated on tourism to fully capitalise on the potential for growth.

She said cruise tourism was a great way of opening up a destination, which could lead to increasing air arrivals.

"Cruise tourism helps the focus to be on developing good tours that mesh with tourists and based on their liking. Developing a good variety of tours, ensuring all the destinations that are covered in the tours are well developed and are able to tackle the tourists that want to come in . So in terms of product development, it makes the destination ready," said Nimarta Chung-Banga.

Source: Radio New Zealand

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