How can you attract Tourist into your own Provinces ???

In my opinion, I think each province should have a website entirely dedicated to making the world aware of what each province has to offer(tourist attractions). The only setback is the law and order problems we have in our country. Otherwise, this country is blessed with everything in a tourist's list. The tourism industry will definitely grow if our law and order problems are solved.


Cheers

Rishika

It is very true that law and order has to be given top priority. The root cause of lawlessness such as unemployment should be addressed to curb crime. The current engagement of youths in POM for city cleanup is a good start.

The goverment has to do more in the rural areas in terms of health, transport and particularly the agriculture sector, so people from rural and urban(go back home) can go work on the land. This simply increases revenue for goverment and the people, it reduces unemployment which then reduces the law and order problems. Finally, we get the tourists coming in.

Plus PNGns have to get away from the easy money mentality.

By the way, whatever happened to the green revolution?
Nowadays it looks more like the Somare and Co. Revolution.

PNG need more websites to promote tourism. These websites need to be country specific, eg..translated in Germany, chinese, japanese, france, spanish...etc...

To pre-experience PNG, photos and documentary speaks a thousand words. Arranged in an excellent manner will improve the countries image.

creating more websites won't help much...Law and Order is our primary problem.

Law & Order needs to be tackled first, a clean up of Raskal Gangs is the immediate priority which in turn will give a vote of confidence to potential tourists who will come in droves if we can improve safety. Not long back we had favourable comments from Cruise Line Passengers who visited HB and were impressed by the Beauty Of The Village and our friendly people.

Law and order is the biggest problem - tourists want to be able to visit a country where they feel safe and able to walk the streets freely night and day.

I agree that is the fundamental to tackle law and order, thus we have to look at what are the root causes. It is too cheap to corruption, that means we have to look at the root causes of corruption again.

Simply, put it this way, jobs have to be created, and the jobless have to be organised, for instance, cleaning groups, beautification groups, farming groups etc... Its not enough to say law and order is a problem, we have to find the root causes of law and order. The practical remedy that everyone can be involved in to solve the problem.

Law order is the priority. I just don't know how that can be achieved if the police are been recruited with false certificates, I wonder how many have gone through the recruitment.

I think that we still need Australia Police force assistance. There was headline in Fiji about rape. That is not good for tourist at all.

Please fix law and order.

ref: http://www.thenational.com.pg/022807/column3.htm

THE NOTEBOOK: By Kevin Pamba

Bidding to neutralise the tourism deterrent factor

LAW and order problems are considered among the major challenges that impact on business and the general development of this country.
Tourism is one of the business sectors that is often said to be affected by the general lack of law and order in the communities.
Platitudes on the socio-economic potential of tourism abound and the lack of law and order is regarded as a major deterrent for this industry to flourish.
Little, if at all, is done specifically to address the law and order issues in tourism areas or potential destinations of the country.
The present approach is that the one-size-fits-all programmes to addressing law and order issues across the country, would have ripple effect to make business easier in the tourism industry.
Some countries have differed from such an approach. They have addressed law and order concerns specifically for the tourism industry.
One such approach is the establishment of “tourist police”.
Greece, Thailand and Nepal are among countries that have established “tourist police” units stationed in popular tourist destinations. These are policemen specifically trained and assigned to look after the welfare of tourists and ensure the tourism industry operates unperturbed by law and order concerns.
In the Greek approach, the tourist police have been established as a service of the Greek police force, which carries out various functions that ensure tourists enjoy their stay and the industry practitioners’ benefit.
The tourist police service is empowered to ensure that the tourists and the service providers are not disadvantaged.
The website of the Greek tourist police says the service is “staffed with specially trained, foreign-language speaking personnel within the framework of its duties and functions”.
The site says the service provides the following services:
*Provide information to Greek and foreign visitors and offers them assistance in settling any issues arising with tourist businesses;
*Cooperates with locally competent directorates of tourism and local authorities in order to deal with tourism issues;
*Ensures that the country’s tourist legislation in force is applied in all tourist areas, businesses and media, including hotels, apartments and rooms to let, tourist shops, tourist agencies and coaches, car and motorcycle rental agencies, archaeological sites, tourist guides, ski resorts, spa towns, mass arrival/departure stations, sanitary facilities operating in tourist businesses and sites of free camping, etc.
*Carry out inspections of tourist businesses with the aim to provide better services and higher protection to visitors.
The website says “the Greek tourist police can be reached around-the-clock by dialing 1-7-1”.
“This line provides all kind of information and instructions in Greek, English, French and German, thus helping tourists to deal directly with any arising problem.”
In the Nepali approach, the tourist police was established as a “special unit” of the Nepal police that works under the ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation.
“We are always attentive to the problems of tourists and very sensitive about their security,” says the Nepali tourist police unit on its website.
“Tourist police assures a safe and pleasant stay to all visitors in Nepal.
“The main function and responsibility of tourist police is to look after the welfare of tourists and to assure them a pleasant and a memorable stay in Nepal.
“Our function is to advise and assist tourists in safety and security during travelling, trekking, rafting and hotel stay in any part of Nepal,” the Nepali tourist police unit says.
In the Thai approach, the tourist police divisions are established in the various hot tourist destinations.
The division on the famous tourist island of Phuket lists the following as its main functions include:
*Suppression of criminal acts against international tourists;
*Facilitate and provide both Thai and international tourists with security and protection;
*Promote the Thai tourism industry; and,
*Join with or support any activities of the authorities concerned.
“The main objective of the tourist police is to facilitate and secure tourists’ throughout Thailand,” says the Thai police on its website about the division on Phuket.
“We would like you to enjoy your trip in the land of smiles.
Greece, Nepal and Thailand are among countries that are popular with tourists. They have their share of law and order issues, particularly Nepal and Thailand. Hence, they have taken concrete steps to look after their visitors against any form of lawlessness.
These are lessons PNG could learn if tourism is to be considered as a major contributor to the socio-economic profile of this country.







This is great. I just hope that our big shots at TPA take into consideration some of the points mentioned here and do something about it.

ref: http://www.thenational.com.pg/030107/nation18.htm


Model province, ENB launches tourism plan

By ELIZABETH VUVU

EAST New Britain has launched a five-year tourism plan yesterday which will work in parallel with the National Tourism master plan to achieve the overall tourism development objective for the country.
Tourism Promotion Authority chief executive officer Peter Vincent said, however, since ENB was selected as one of the model tourism provinces, special attention would be given to it and the other four – New Ireland, Milne Bay, Madang and Eastern Highlands. Mr Vincent said the plan sets out the vision, strategies and identifies priority projects that needed to be developed in order to achieve that stand alone destination status.
“However, for this to be achieved, everybody needed to work together as a team,” Mr Vincent said.
“The onus will be on the ENB provincial government, administration, tourism industry partners, stakeholders and people of ENB to take ownership of the plan and drive it.”






It will be a good start for the province. This definitely needs the community's support in every aspect of the project. Hope the people are aware of what this project will do to the province. It will definitely boost the economy at all levels.

Air Niugini will fly Tokua - CNS begining August.

And Suva via Honiara, also from Tokua.

Em nau ENBP is moving ahead, na ol narapla??

Dr. Who I guess its all in rest with the provincal goverments, governors and leaders from those province. For example central province tried to build a Central City...up to know, its a ghost town, mismanagement, governors change, new ideas..lack of vision etc..

For your information.

ref:http://www.thenational.com.pg


Tourism strategy for EHP in place
Plan aims to make province a major tourist destination

THE Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) yesterday presented a five-year tourism plan to the Eastern Highlands provincial government in a bid to make tourism in the province a partner in economic development.
Kimson Kare, Shadow Internal Security Minister and TPA board chairman, presented the plan to Governor Malcolm Smith-Kela at a luncheon attended by business representatives, provincial government officials and stakeholders.
Mr Kare said he hoped the plan would lure more foreign tourists to Eastern Highlands.
He commended PNGTPA for its “vision and foresight” for piloting the model-provinces concept of promoting tourism in the country.
Mr Kare said the plan had captured the tourism vision, strategies and objectives of Eastern Highlands province that would harness its unique and abundant natural resources.
It would also develop the province’s rich culture and participate in sustainable and distinctive tourism experiences that satisfy visitors and in the process benefit the local communities, he said.
“It is indeed a mammoth challenge for the province and its people to fully realise this vision so soon, but I am confident that given your established tourism infrastructure like airports, roads and hotels, you are well-placed to move on ahead of others,” Mr Kare told his audience.
The five-province tourism models are New Ireland, East New Britain, Madang, Eastern Highlands and Milne Bay.
Under the concept, the programme has also been designed to compliment and strengthen the Government’s medium-term development strategies (MTDS), the PNG national tourism policy, the TPA 2004-2009 strategic plan and the national tourism master plan (2007-2017).

Thats true.

In my experience, EHP are the most peace loving, non-violent people out of all the highlands provices. Full support lo ol.

In my own province of Enga, I am sad to say tourism has a very long way to go. After the tribal warfares and the violence stops, may tourists will come on a regular basis. For now? Just the occasional cultural shows.

From Central Province, we are more concerned with getting the scraps..lol..i mean royalties.. falling from NCDC tables that even our own central city mounted sometime is bustling with spider activities.

Some decades back, there used to be a Rigo cultral show run by District Manager, it attracted hundreds of international vistors...it all ended abruptly after independence.

US$2 Billion by 2010
SOUTH Pacific's tourism marketing and development organisation, south-pacific.travel has predicted target revenue for the sector of USD2 billion per annum by 2010. Chief Executive Tony Everitt said tourism in the region certainly has the greatest sustainable growth potential. Quantifying this potential in a hard target that everyone can remember and understand is a step towards making it happen. south-pacific.travel carried out analysis on the value of tourism to the region in 2005 which conservatively estimated the setcor's value at about USD1 billion in 2000, from a little under 1 million international visitors. By 2004, the figures had grown to USD1.5B from about 1.2 million visitors. "If we could maintain the same growth rate for the second half of the decade that was achieved in the first half, we could be looking at a USD2B per annum industry by 2010," noted Mr Everitt. (Source south-pacific.travel)

In last week wednesday's national newspaper, a tour opeartor in Mt. Hagen said that law and order problems along the highlands highway was a big threat to tourism in the country.
He was expecting some tourist last week but they did not arrive because of the media coverage of the current situation along the highlands highway.

One thing that comes to mind as I was writing this is that everytime you get a copy of the paper in the morning, the headlines are always about armed robbery, holdup, rape, misapproriation, killings, etc etc... Now, if a foreigner wants to find out about news in PNG and on any day decides to read the paper online and comes across headlines like that, it does not look good at all. Who would want to visit a country that has nothing to offer but bad news? They will be risking their life. So for a tourist, PNG is a no go zone.
No wonder investors too do not want to invest in the businesses in this country because they are not sure how their investment will turn out.

In my opinion, I think the media should be reporting more on the good things that is happening in PNG rather than focusing on the bad. I do not think PNG is the worst crime infested country in the world, we are better than the rest of the world. We are rated that way because most of the crimes that are committed gets covered in the media and the rest of the world know that is why they rate us accordingly.

The other counties also have crime rates higher than PNG but they appear to be good coz they do not report on all their crimes, they sort of cover it up.

I know that those living abroad will agree with me on this...

Absolutely true.

Em nau. Headlines long Post courier blo tete ya mekim na mi sem tu ya.
I luk olsem ol tourist bai cut down long visitim PNG ya.

I am sure there are many good papua new guineas overseas who encourage tourism and visitors by promoting PNG to their friends, colleagues and nation day. This kind of act is just disheartening and frankly, I don't not wish to further promote on PNG.

Mi ya PNG diehard. So when I try to promote PNG, people just look through me, as if I am not there. Some will wave me off as if I do not know what I am talking about. it is frustrating..lol... but as I ramble on and on, they will eventually be attentive to what I am trying to say.

The media reports are not helping at all with the kind of picture they portray of PNG.

Wanbel tumas La shanka!! ;)

Just read in the papers again that despite negative media publicity, tourist numbers are up. Tourist numbers up by 26.5% from last year compared to 7.1% for the previous year.

Cheers
kolwan

In todays national (06/06/07) there is a strong travel warning for australians travelling to PNG. We have good days and bad days. Expect tourism this year to suffer.