Cultural group aims to set up tourism project

A cultural group hopes to establish a tourism project in Port Moresby and Southern Highlands.
The Kina Culture Group is involved with the collection and archiving of kina shells, stories, rituals and songs from villages in Southern Highlands.
The group  now aims to launch a tourism project to help boost the profile of the industry in the country.
The group outlined in a document expected outputs of the  project in three components.
The first component proposes a Kina culture resource centre in Port Moresby.
It hopes to establish the centre to promote cultural training, exhibition, demonstration and preservation.
The second proposes a Kina culture centre to be established in Ialibu, Southern Highlands.
The culture centre will be used to store traditional documentaries and antiquities.
The group hopes to secure a surveyed land title from customary land for the construction of the centre.
The third component proposes a cultural eco-tourism programme to promote eco-tourism through cultural preservation and environmental conservation for sustainable income generation.
Under the initiative, the group hopes to restore the Siwi Utame Wildlife Sanctuary in Ialibu.
Group chairman Yake Pua said funding was needed to realise these ideas and proposals.
“I am appealing to the people and leaders of Southern Highlands to realise the significance of our Kina culture to get involved,” Pua said.
“Our story is very unique so it must be documented and preserved for generations to come.”