Expo eyes rise in tourist numbers

Business

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
THE Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority is developing its products to bring more tourists into the country, director marketing and research Alice Kuaningi says.
She said the tourism industry was growing:“It has become an important sector like mining, forestry, fishing and agriculture.”
She was at the three-day Lukim PNG Now Expo at Port Moresby Nature Park. It ended on Tuesday.
“This travel and tourism expo is to get international agents to come to Papua New Guinea and meet with local operators,” she said.
Kuaningi said it gave the local operators the opportunity to promote and market their tourism products and services with the international travel agents.
They invited 33 operators to exhibit their tourism businesses such as hotels, tour companies, lodges, hire car services, sight-seeing, trekking and diving.
There were 26 international travel agents.
“This is part of exposing Papua New Guinea tourism to the world because we are not a mass tourism destination but an adventure destination,” she said. “We are doing more in developing our niche products like trekking, diving, fishing, culture, cruising and bird watching.”
Meanwhile, she said the authority would like to promote more local operators.
“Many are operating in isolation so we are encouraging them to get in touch with us to become members of the tourism industry association.
“Once they become members they can benefit from such events when we want to expose them to the international market.
“Membership has grown to more than 60. We would like more tourism operators and hoteliers to come out and work with us.”