Build Tourist Industry'
pp. 121-123 · Read in the full issue
It's lime For New Guinea To Build Tourist Industry'
The Australian Government and private interests in De cember were urged to invest substantially in building up a tourist industry for Papua-New Guinea. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development suggested this in a report to the Australian Government on the economic development of Papua-New Guinea.
THE Bank pointed out that the P NG Administration had never encouraged tourists, because some areas were not safe for visitors and also because the Administration feared that tourists might have a detrimental effect on the New Guineans.
But with the advance of law and order the Administration had shown greater intertest in attracting tourists and the Bank believed a positive policy towards tourism was now called for.
The Bank suggests the Administra tion establish a Bureau of Tourism and that Government instrumentalities recognise the need for loans for the tourist industry. Private interests should invest a substantial share of the money required for such things as hotels and transport.
The Bank comments that the Territory suffers from a lack of direct air connections with the Far East, Europe and North America. There
is only a limited entry in the Honiara service connecting with Fiji, and travellers generally had first to go to Australia and again to return to Australia.
The Territory required a jet service between Sydney and Manila, with a stop in the Territory. Qantas had s . uch a . service which was discon tinued in 1961, and its restoration “might do more than any other single ste P t 0 boost tourism”. (See p. 123.) The ® an k says the Territory is fortunate in having major shipping and airlines . with / e " era > S outh “ tra,l ° n and * e f nv f* e s f tor skould get t °f th f. r to . work „9 ut i:f“™' v P J an ° f a ‘v P g * S experience to work ® as ‘ c ‘™ r p a,' ° u ‘ to f se f.,. that accommodation and other facilities were adequate at key locations.
The report said it was the mission’s v i ew that hotel facilities should main (Over)
tain the atmosphere of the South Sea Islands while providing the amenities. Local materials and de sign should be used whenever possible.
The World Bank’s report on New Guinea’s tourist potential would, in parts, make excellent copy for any travel promoter looking for descrip tive phrases for a tourist brochure.
Take this example: “The Territory has an unusual variety of attractions in the hundreds of tropical islands, and a mainland with one of the world’s great mountain ranges. The climate along the coast and in the islands is warm and generally not unpleasant. In the highlands, it is cool with frost in the higher valleys and even light snow on the high peaks.
“Lush forests, brilliant tropical flowers, birds of paradise, coral and sandy coasts, great rivers and lovely islands afford a great variety of scenery.
“Culturally, the people of the Territory have only recently emerged from the Stone Age, and their cele brations, shows, fairs, sing-sings, customs and way of life are extra ordinary colourful and almost unique.
“The people, the fauna, the flora and the location in the South Seas all add up to a fascinating setting which can provide a pleasant, in teresting and even exciting experience for tourists. The coastal waters afford good fishing—in some areas sport fishing—as well as the mag nificent scenery of the South Sea Islands.”