Flights to Shangai ‘will’ boost business tourism

By MARK HAIHUIE
FLIGHTS to Shanghai in China by Air Niugini early next year has great potential for China and PNG, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China counselor Liu Lin says.
“In 2016, the outgoing tourists reached 122 million with a total expenditure of US$109.8 billion overseas. The tourism industry accounts for 11 per cent of China’s total GDP (Gross Domestic Product) bringing more than 28 million jobs,” Lin said.
“The total indirect and direct jobs combined is actually much bigger at more than 70 million jobs. And the jobs it creates account for 10 per cent of the total employment figures.”
He said China was a big tourism country and PNG was potentially a big tourism country too.
“If things are done right, the same things that happened in China will also happen in PNG,” he said.
“China and PNG are complimentary in terms of the tourism industry. China is abundant in outgoing tourists and PNG is abundant in world-class facilities and tourist attractions.
“We have travelled to all these places and we want something new, we want something exotic. We do not realise that there is a paradise in the Pacific islands called Papua New Guinea.
“So we should create more awareness not only in PNG but also in China.
“The direct flight is going to happen and Air Niugini has done an excellent job.”