PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, June 1) – The Papua New Guinea Independent Consumer and Competition Commission says PNG as tourist destination has remained underdeveloped compared to Fiji, Cook Island and Samoa.
In a paper reviewing the industry, the commission said "by far (it is) the worst performing nation in the Pacific in terms of tourism growth".
The agency said the country, being a young tourism destination, needed to improve its facilities to cash in on the growing tourist arrivals in the Pacific.
However, ICCC had noted that since 2004, the government had increased its budget support for the industry and that it allocated at least PGK13 million [US$4.5] this year.
Statistics had shown that the country received close to 70,000 overseas visitors of which 26 percent (approximately 18,000) were holiday makers while the rest were on business.
Although arrivals dropped by 10,000 from a high in 1999, these visitors generated an...