Southern Highlanders told to tell their ‘positive stories’

TOURISM Promotion Authority (TPA) chief executive officer Jerry Agus wants the people of Southern Highlands to tell their “positive stories” to Papua New Guinea and the rest of the world.
He made the call in Mendi on Friday at the launch of a tourism drive for Southern Highlands.
The image of the highlands was spoiled after the 2017 election, culminating in the burning of a Link PNG aircraft and government buildings last year.
The TPA is backed up by the Southern Highlands’ government and administration in a major image-rebuilding exercise.
Provincial administrator Joseph Cajetan concurred with Agus.
The exercise kicked off with a two-day tourism training workshop last week attended by more than 50 guesthouse operators and tourism product owners.
TPA officers had earlier visited all districts in Southern Highlands to make a stocktake of its tourism potential.
“In the media, you will only see Southern Highlands mentioned for tribal fighting, road blocks and people being killed,” Agus told a crowd at Momei Oval.
“With internet and Facebook, whatever little incident in Kutubu or Upper Mendi is transmitted to the world in 30 seconds. Many tourists don’t want to come here because of such negative reports or postings.
“Even Papua New Guineans regard Southern Highlands as a dangerous place. When Southern Highlands is mentioned, everyone makes a U-turn.
“There are so many good people in Southern Highlands. Just because of one or two negative stories, the perception is that everyone here are bad people,” Augus said.