A study responding to Tourism Promotion Authority’s need to determine baseline understanding of the scope for domestic tourism development has been recently conducted.
Domestic tourism data collection study is an important tool for Papua New Guinea’s tourism sector, which has received recommendation from the Asian Development Bank’s Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI).
The publication of this study in April this year follows a series of stakeholder engagements from 1 to 2 June last year, including a workshop conducted in Port Moresby which was facilitated by PSDI with the support of the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA).
It highlights the promise in PNG’s domestic tourism data before the pandemic and emphasizes the need for reliable data collection methodologies to inform policymaking and measuring performance in the tourism sector.
TPA’s CEO, Eric Mossman Uvovo, said that the launch of the study signifies a significant step for PNGTPA.
“As we embark on a journey to strengthen our focus on the domestic market, especially encouraging our people to explore their own backyard, establishing baseline data through one of the recommended approaches suggested in this study offers a start to quantifying the scope and nature of domestic tourism potential.”
Mr Uvovo highlighted further that the publication of this study marks the dawn of a new era for PNG’s tourism industry.
“It provides us with a clear roadmap to strengthen our vast potential for domestic tourism, laying the foundation for a resilient tourism landscape that benefits both our citizens and our economy.”