The owners of nine campsites in the Southern Region of the Kokoda Track between the Central and Oro provinces, received donated supplies of equipment just recently to enhance tourism growth along the track and improve livelihoods for communities and households in the region.
The donations included a range of water security materials, pipes, tap fittings and solar lighting packages that will enable the campsites and guesthouses to improve lighting and access to water, and raise their accommodation standards to meet trekker and tourist expectations along the Track.
These donations are part of the joint efforts of the PNG-Australia Partnership to support a range of training to improve compliance with the Tourism Promotion Authority’s accommodation accreditation standards and promote greater income generation through better business management, service quality and amenities.
The donations were handed over by the National Capital District (NCD) Governor Powes Parkop, who was accompanied by the and Central Province Deputy Governor Willie Vave, as well as the Acting CEO of Kokoda Track Authority Julius Wargirai, Acting CEO of Kokoda Track Authority (KTA), Acting Director of the National Museum and Art Gallery and representatives from the Australian High Commission and the Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) at Owers Corner in Sogeri.
These small yet critical individual businesses play an important role in supporting tourism growth on the Kokoda Track and providing a gateway for international and domestic visitors to explore the depth and diversity of tourism in PNG that benefits and builds tourism revenue in Central Province and the National Capital District (NCD).