Call for ENB to improve tourism

By ELIZABETH VUVU
EAST New Britain needs to improve tourism products, facilities and infrastructure to achieve its tourism hub status, says  a Consultant.
Michael Turkia is the principal consultant of Tiratira Consultancy Services and has been running tourism workshops.
A week-long workshop on packaging new tourism products through feasibility studies for your business was held in Kokopo attended by delegates from Pomio and Baining, Kokopo, New Ireland and West New Britain.
He said tourists arriving on cruise ships stayed for only a few hours before leaving.
“We can keep visitors in the province for longer periods if we step up tourism products and have package tours in place,” Turkia said.
“At present tourists spend only a few hours in the province and sail out to places like Fiji and spend more time there due to attractive tour packages.
“There is a need to package tours and products reflecting the way we live.
“There are tour guides who cannot speak English and this is a pity. There has to be a lot of training for our young people and more training for scouts.”
The participants visited tourism sites at Tokua, Bitapaka war cemetery and Kininigunan at Vunapope.