Call to support cruise tourism development

 THE people of Madang and Wewak have been called to embrace cruise tourism development.

Tourism Promotion Authority chief executive officer Peter Vincent said the people must now become role models of change by displaying the positive side of the country to international visitors.

P&O Cruises’ Pacific Dawn will be making its maiden calls to Madang on Thursday and Wewak on Friday.

He said while Madang may have seen several cruise ships in recent times, Wewak will be experiencing something new in terms of the large numbers of tourists on the ground.

“We are talking about 2000-plus tourists and 700 crew all arriving in Wewak for a whole day and this will be something new and exciting for Wewak residents and the whole province,” he said.

Vincent said cruise ship development was quickly taking shape in PNG since the launch of the TPA’s cruise development strategy in 2007 and the subsequent invitation to international cruise tourism brand P&O Cruises to visit PNG starting in Milne Bay in November 2013.

“We ventured into cruise tourism on a big scale because for too long we suffered from the negative image perception created by law and order issues,” he said.

“Through cruise tourism, we wanted to create an image of friendliness and cleanliness so our visitors who are spending eight hours at each location in PNG can appreciate what we can offer as for tourist destination.”  

Vincent said with the advance made by P&O Cruises into PNG, other internationally-renowned cruise ship companies were now taking a keen interest in PNG.

With the support of key stakeholders, he said TPA has advanced the development of the cruise sector to East New Britain last year now and Madang and Wewak in 2015 with further expansions planned in 2016 to include Ali Island in West Sepik and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

TPA has been conducting awareness and stakeholder meetings with locals, industry members and provincial governments in Wewak and Madang in preparation for the Pacific Dawn’s maiden voyage.

“This is an exciting time for cruise tourism in PNG, especially for the people of Madang and Wewak, and they must utilise the opportunity to showcase what they can offer as a province to the international cruise tourism community,” Vincent said.