District gives K50,000 to improve tourism development

Islands, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday February 4th, 2014

 THE Mt Varzin’s Vunakokor tourist track in Toma, Gazelle, East New Britain, received K50,000 from the district last Thursday for tourism development.

Gazelle tourism committee representative Samson Kakai said the idea of developing the track for tourism came up during Sir Paulias Matane’s 80th birthday celebrations two years ago when more than 3,000 people joined him to climb Mt Varzin.

He said the process started there but it was delayed because villages and landowners had to settle land issues before giving their approval.

He said Tropicana Limited in Kokopo was financially supporting the project.

Kakai said the district treasury gave K50,000 last month for the track.

He said the district funded two tourism projects last year – the development of a monument at the “tung na parau,” a few kilometers from the famous Malmaluan lookout, and the Vunakokor tourist track.

The “tung na parau” was where missionaries were killed when delivering the gospel to the area for the first time and remains a historical site for ENB, Samoa and Fiji.

Kakai said the third tourism project for the district would be in Reimber-Livuan local level government.

The Gazelle tourism committee aims to develop tourism products, hold capacity building training and promote and market tourism.

Sir Paulias has supported establishing the track in Toma.

He said PNG had great potential in becoming a major tourist destination in the world and the government should throw in more support to making that happen.