TOURISM Nusa Island Retreat offshore from Kavieng in New Ireland Province
Waiting for the tide to turn The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a damaging blow to Papua New Guinea’s tourism industry, but companies are using the downtime to rethink their operations. Robert Upe reports. PNG’s visitor numbers were trending up in the years before COVID-19 struck in early 2020. The nation was on a roll with its natural assets and adventure options of surfing, diving, birdwatching and trekking, particularly along the Kokoda Trail. It had also seen the opening of new properties in recent years, including PNG’s first Hilton Hotel and the Loloata Private Island Resort. COVID-19 turned that on its head. Hotels emptied, tracks were deserted and eco-lodges fell quiet. As international arrivals slowed, PNG’s tourism and hospitality sectors turned to domestic travellers, when
COVID-19 restrictions have allowed. A PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA) report states that visitor numbers fell by 82 per cent in 2020 to 38,940, and cruise visitation declined by 100 per cent.
When will travellers return? According to some sources, a rebound may start in the second half of 2021 and gain momentum in 2022. The cruise industry is reporting
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR FLORA AND FAUNA, OUR PEOPLE AND OUR CULTURE, WE HAVE IT ALL
42 BUSINESS ADVANTAGE PAPUA NEW GUINEA
extraordinary forward bookings for 2022–2023. It’s anticipated that, as people are vaccinated against COVID, they will feel confident and safe to travel again for business and leisure. Rupert Bray, Managing Director of Steamships Trading Company Ltd, which has owns PNG’s largest hotel chain, Coral Sea Hotels, says many first world countries should have rolled out their vaccination programs by the third quarter of 2021. ‘There will be a gradual easing [of travel restrictions] from mid-2021 onwards,’ Bray anticipates. But, as Bray points out, the wildcard for travel and hospitality is quarantine. ‘There will have to be a trade-off between travel restrictions ending [due to widespread vaccination] and quarantine ending before the business rebuilds. We fear a large valley between the former and latter.’
