PRIME Minister James Marape, in launching the inaugural PNG National Tourism Conference and Expo this morning at Hilton Hotel, stated that Tourism has the greatest ability, along with Agriculture and Fisheries, to transform PNG’s economy significantly and bring positive development and change to communities without leaving anyone behind.
Prime Minister Marape said given the unique and never-ending potential that Papua New Guinea possesses in the Tourism space, from its rich cultural diversity and biodiversity to the breath-taking scenery and friendly people, greater collaboration and synergy in the sector is strongly encouraged to enable positive and effective progress.
PM Marape acknowledged Tourism Minister Hon. Belden Namah who was deliberately hand-picked among many others for his leadership so far with the aim of resuscitating the Tourism sector of the country and bringing it to the next level, thus fully tapping into international tourism markets in South East Asia and the Pacific Region, as well as the world at large.
He also acknowledged the support of key stakeholderorganisations in the Tourism industry and from the Non-Renewable sector (Extractive Resource Sector) of the economy like the Mineral Resource Development Company.
In outlining his Government’s plans to support Tourism in Papua New Guinea, the Prime Minister highlighted the Connect PNG program that has made significant progress since 2019, connecting some of the most remote parts of the country with the rest of the country and the outside world for the first time, and also opening up economic corridors for sectors like Tourism to fully utilise.
With PNG entering the NRL from 2028 onwards, the Connect PNG infrastructure program is already preparing the way.
Marape said, reminding naysayers who continuously speak negatively about his Government on social media: “Just because we don’t tell everyone we are working doesn’t mean we’re not working. Those naysayers who say all the garbage that proliferates our social media, half the time they are spinned by spin doctors and those who want to be politicians.
“We have many, many positives that outweigh the negativities in our country. All of us must be in total solidarity to make this country become a better place. In the midst of all the politics that are going on, we are still at work. I spoke at the opening ofan Agriculture Conference in Lae earlier this week, encouraging that Agriculture has the potential to produce 1 million economically-productive families.
“Tourism has enormous potential in our nation and we can make it happen. Who says dreams don’t come to reality? Dreams do come true. And I say this because I’ve seen and made it happen before.”
In speaking about dreams coming true, PM Marape shared a reflection on how a world-renowned Hilton Hotel and brand was able to be built in the heart of the suburb of Hohola in Port Moresby.
He said it was part of a conversation in 2015 in Suva, Fiji, where he was asked to open a hotel in Fiji back then which PNG had majorityshareholding through a landowner company. Marape established the dream then and told the key stakeholders to build a similar hotel in Port Moresby, which has now come to pass, becoming a hotel that is on par with the best in the world.
“What was only a dream back then in Fiji is now what I rate as the best Hilton Hotelin the world, having been to other Hilton Hotels around the world. It is located in Hohola – a suburb where our historic Bully Beef Club (precursor to PANGU Party) used to meet and stay in the pre-Independence era.
“It is where vision was turned into reality,” said Marape.
Prime Minister Marape encouraged and welcomed international investors to PNG, thus acknowledging some companies in the Private sector like Digicel and others who have tapped into the country’s potential areas to do business for the development and transformation of PNG.
He also paid tribute to some significant expatriate business figures who made Papua New Guinea their home and have contributed in a big way to PNG’s Tourism Sectorlike Bob Bates, Late Peter Barter and others.
“Papua New Guineans who are naysayers out there, these people (Tourism business operators) never asked the Government for support. They just picked up what they had and what they could do and became successful. I salute them for what they have done,” Marape said in emotional fashion, paying tribute to the long-time Tourism Business Operators.
He took a special moment of respect to ask Bob Bates who was among the audience to stand as he asked everyone to join him in acknowledging Mr Bates as someone who has a unique business footprint in PNG’s tourism industry.
Bob Bates is the founder of Trans Niugini Tours in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province, and also other business ventures in a number of significant locations around the country such as the Award-Winning Ambua Lodge in Hela Province, Bensbach River Tours in Western Province and the Karawari Lodge next to the Sepik River.
Marape highlighted that the Tourism market in neighbouring countries like Australia,
New Zealand, Fiji and Indonesia are huge, which PNG can easily tap into given its unique geographical location between South East Asia and the Pacific.
He said: “When I visit different nations of the world on official visits, I promote our nation patriotically and establish relations deliberately so that PNG can benefit economically through investors and tourists or visitors.
“I ensure to enable arrangements with key economies in Asia and the Pacific that will have their tourists also visit our country, and more investors entering our country in a positive way.
“For instance, China had 134 million tourists last year. We can easily tap into that for our benefit. We are working on improving international flight arrangements with Air Niugini and Airport works with National Airports Corporation to enable more international flight routes with key economically-beneficial countries, especially in Asia and the Pacific Regions. So if other major countries or regions of the world like Europe or the United States don’t come, we can promote tourism in South East Asian nationslike our closest neighbour Indonesia whom we have agreements for movement between borders already.
“We are on our way to becoming a full member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has 500 million people involved in the member countries concerned. This will be a great boost for us going forward as far as our economy is concerned in terms of linking up with key markets.
“Let us appreciate the true beauty of our land and our people in a positive way, and not dwell on negatives that aim to bring us down. We all need to work together to make things happen for the success and growth of our Tourism Sector.”