PNG tourist group acquires Cairns hotel

PNG’s largest tourist organisation, Melanesian Tourist Services (MTS) has acquired the Tropical Cairns Heritage hotel/motel.
Situated on Minnie St Cairns, the hotel, formerly owned by the Free Masons was purchased by MTS for A$3.5 million on Oct 1 this year.
The PNG company has spent an additional A$500,000 renovating and refurbishing the property to bring it up to a four-star property.
The managing director of MTS and well-known PNG identity, Sir Peter Barter has spent the past month in Cairns overseeing the renovations which will ultimately include an extension with additional guest suites and meeting rooms. 
All guest rooms now have 32-inch LCD flat screen televisions new furniture, fridges and hundreds of canvas framed pictures of PNG providing guests a taste of PNG.
Sir Peter said Cairns was not a new destination for both himself and his company as the MTS has been a tour operator in Far North Queensland, PNG and the Solomon Islands for more than 40 years. 
The MTS owns and operates the well-known Madang Resort and Kalibobo Village which are well-regarded and considered to be the best tourist resorts in PNG.
Over the years MTS has built a fine reputation for its resorts as one of the region’s major conference venues having twice hosted the South Pacific Forum. 
 In addition to inbound tourism to PNG, MTS has pioneered tourism to the PNG highlands, the Sepik River and the Islands of PNG. 
For 35 years the company has been operating adventure cruising along the Sepik River and the offshore islands in the Bismarck and Solomon Seas aboard the Melanesian Discoverer.