Major hotels in NCD continue services amid restrictions

DESPITE being affected by the ongoing restrictions, border closure and strict protocols, major hotels in the National Capital District continue to deliver services to guests in the hope that normal business will soon return.
The Stanley Hotel and Suites general manager Geoff Haigh said nothing much would change in the sector until the Covid-19 was under control and businesses could return to normalcy.
“Seventy per cent of our business pre-Covid was international, as such, business for us has been more one of survival and it remains so,” he told The National.
“We have no plans to change our operations at this time, but we are ready and able to return to normal operations as soon as the Covid-19 situation is resolved in PNG.”
Holiday Inn general manager Robert Coates said: “While we continue to be impacted by ongoing restrictions, border closures and strict protocols, our hotels are performing reasonably as they focus on delivering a clean and safe experience for guests.”
Coates also added that they would be supportive of any initiatives that grew the economy and supported the business community in the country.
According to the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA), the United Nations World Tourism Organisation reported that the proportion of border-closed destinations had dropped from 82 per cent last April to 18 per cent in November. However, outbound travel and international tourism expenditure was still very weak globally.
“With the availability of (Covid-19) vaccines, increasing travel safety measures and quarantine requirements for travellers, there is hope for Papua New Guinea’s tourism industry,” Coates said.
“International visitor arrival numbers are predicted to undergo a slow recovery spanning two to three years – at an average growth rate of two per cent annually.
“By 2025, Papua New Guinea will regain its pre-Covid-19 pandemic figures of 200,000 visitors, and generate K1.6 billion towards the national economy.”