At least a self-contained shelter is enough to attract international eco-tourists to Papua New Guinea, say tourism operators.

David Van, an international tour guide operator, told the Bena tribe in Eastern Highlands province that international tourists had not experienced local life.

The tribe nurtures the 217ha Yasina Nature Park at Megabo in ward seven of the Upper Bena Local Level Government area in Unggai-Bena District, Eastern Highlands.

Van said he would work with them starting with self-contained shelters where the tourists can enjoy privacy for days and appreciate exposure to such experience.

Yasina Nature Park director Paul Pake said Van would help the park improve one of the existing guest houses with sanitary kits and bed fittings.

“He [David Van] told us to build more guest houses, so we will start erecting structures now,” Pake said, adding that Van would help them as well, like he did with the Asaro Mudmen and 11 self-contained guest houses.

David Van, a Belgian operating out of Thailand organising photo tourism in Asia, said Papua New Guinea had a big potential in tourism.

‘Best country’ for photo travel
“I always do a lot of photo travel in the world, including Vietnam, Myanmar, but Papua New Guinea is the best country with different cultures compared to the world.”

He said that at least a decent shelter in the local communities with friendly environment was enough for international tourists from big cities to see where their food came from.

“They have been living in the big cities,” Van continued. “When they come here to Papua New Guinea, they will stay in hotels, come here, spend one hour and go back.

“They will not appreciate the real local life fully. Tourists would like to stay with the local people.”

Van said they would have to provide decent shelters where the tourists could enjoy their privacy while they mingled with the local life.

He assured them that he would expose Yasina Nature Park and others internationally.

“There is good potential here because the Bena tribe is not known, not many people know about it,” Van said.

“What I will do is take more pictures.

Organising Yasina tours
“When I go back I will contact many people throughout the world, organise their tours and guide them to this place.”

He said the tour duration depended on the number of activities the park could organise for the tourists.

“If you can take them for a walk to see some waterfalls, do some farming, they would love to sweep soil away and pull sweet potatoes out of the ground,” Van said. “That is really  local life.

“That’s what they want to see because they live in big cities — 20 floors up in the big buildings — and have never seen where their food comes from, how they are farmed.

“They have never even seen pig killing too.”

He said those were some areas where they could work around to develop tourism products.

Van has been in Papua New Guinea since last week.

He plans to visit other cultures and environment conservation sites in the Highlands region and help them develop tourism products.

Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

At least a self-contained shelter is enough to attract international eco-tourists to Papua New Guinea, say tourism operators.

David Van, an international tour guide operator, told the Bena tribe in Eastern Highlands province that international tourists had not experienced local life.

The tribe nurtures the 217ha Yasina Nature Park at Megabo in ward seven of the Upper Bena Local Level Government area in Unggai-Bena District, Eastern Highlands.

Van said he would work with them starting with self-contained shelters where the tourists can enjoy privacy for days and appreciate exposure to such experience.

Yasina Nature Park director Paul Pake said Van would help the park improve one of the existing guest houses with sanitary kits and bed fittings.

“He [David Van] told us to build more guest houses, so we will start erecting structures now,” Pake said, adding that Van would help them as well, like he did with the Asaro Mudmen and 11 self-contained guest houses.

David Van, a Belgian operating out of Thailand organising photo tourism in Asia, said Papua New Guinea had a big potential in tourism.

‘Best country’ for photo travel
“I always do a lot of photo travel in the world, including Vietnam, Myanmar, but Papua New Guinea is the best country with different cultures compared to the world.”

He said that at least a decent shelter in the local communities with friendly environment was enough for international tourists from big cities to see where their food came from.

“They have been living in the big cities,” Van continued. “When they come here to Papua New Guinea, they will stay in hotels, come here, spend one hour and go back.

“They will not appreciate the real local life fully. Tourists would like to stay with the local people.”

Van said they would have to provide decent shelters where the tourists could enjoy their privacy while they mingled with the local life.

He assured them that he would expose Yasina Nature Park and others internationally.

“There is good potential here because the Bena tribe is not known, not many people know about it,” Van said.

“What I will do is take more pictures.

Organising Yasina tours
“When I go back I will contact many people throughout the world, organise their tours and guide them to this place.”

He said the tour duration depended on the number of activities the park could organise for the tourists.

“If you can take them for a walk to see some waterfalls, do some farming, they would love to sweep soil away and pull sweet potatoes out of the ground,” Van said. “That is really  local life.

“That’s what they want to see because they live in big cities — 20 floors up in the big buildings — and have never seen where their food comes from, how they are farmed.

“They have never even seen pig killing too.”

He said those were some areas where they could work around to develop tourism products.

Van has been in Papua New Guinea since last week.

He plans to visit other cultures and environment conservation sites in the Highlands region and help them develop tourism products.

Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

PACIFIC PANDEMIC DIARY: By Sri Krishnamurthi, contributing editor of Pacific Media Watch

As New Zealand prepares to go to alert level 2 in the covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, the attention turns to the recovery of the economy – and we must spare a thought for the economies of the Pacific.

Most of the Pacific relies on tourism, as does New Zealand, however devastation of the industry has rendered it almost non-recoverable.

As Ingrid Leary, who was director for New Zealand and the Pacific for the UK cultural relations organisation British Council for 11 years, says, the recovery is going to be “tricky” for the Pacific.

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While it is easy to dismiss her as just another Pākehā voice in the distance – who is standing in the Dunedin safe seat of Taieri for Labour, succeeding Clare Curran – nothing can be further the truth.

She has a deep love for the Pacific, in particular Fiji, having gone there in 1997 and helped develop the University of the South Pacific journalism school with the Pacific Media Centre’s Professor David Robie for several years.

Leary understands the Pacific’s estimated US$4.2 billion tourism industry has been destroyed and with no social welfare to fall back on this leaves the people of the Pacific facing poverty and unemployment.

“The question of Pacific tourism is very tricky and yes thousands of jobs are lost, as indeed in New Zealand as well,” she says.

Tourism ‘devastated’
“The tourism industry has been devastated by covid-19 and it is going to take a lot of imagination and rethinking to get the industry back up and running.

“I think some of the answers will be around eco-tourism and also making use of the fact most Pacific Islanders didn’t experience any cases of covid-19,” Leary told Pacific Media Watch.

She hopes that the trans-Tasman bubble can be extended to the Pacific in due time.

“So, promoting tourism within the region and when New Zealand and Australia form a bubble then perhaps extending that bubble to the Pacific when it is safe to do so, so there can be regional tourism and regional travel,” says the award-winning former television journalist who went to Banda Aceh after the 2004 tsunami and covered the devastation there.

“And that climate change and climate orientated services and products are very much at the centre of that tourism offer,” says Leary, who is also a lawyer.

Ironically, covid-19 might be a blessing in disguise for the environment and climate change when it comes to rethinking tourism, she thinks.

“If that does happen then covid-19 in the tourism sector might be a blessing in the Pacific because the rate of destruction of the environment through climate change was so massive as the Fijian government knows and has led on,” she says.

Projecting the environment
“Having a reset and having tourism being done differently so that it protects the environment and the communities which survive on it would be a fantastic long-term outcome from what is otherwise been a devastating pandemic,” she said.

No one can doubt her sincerity, as I found out myself  when returning to Fiji after 30 years away.

“Recently, in my role with the British Council I was working on a project to vision the new art gallery with the Fijian government,” she recalls.

But it is the next sentence which left me gobsmacked – here is a woman who doesn’t just love the islands but belongs there.

“Every time I got off the plane the familiar smell of Fiji, warmth and vibe just reminded me that I was home again, my second home and that feeling will never leave me.

“I love Fiji. I have two Rotuman children from my time in Fiji. As much as it is my second home, Fiji has such complex cultures, and politically and there are always surprises and for that reason I will always find Fiji fascinating,” Leary says.

The expectation is that the tourism industry will take at least two years to get back on its feet.

Pacific tourism report
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) commissioned a report in conjunction with the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) titled “Pacific Tourism: Covid19 Impact & Recovery, Sector Status Report: Phase 1B” which was released last week on May 5.

The major focus on countries in the report are Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tonga.

The report says: “At this time, all tourism in the Pacific has ceased. All borders to Pacific countries, including New Zealand, are closed to commercial air traffic and cruise ships.

“There are currently no commercial air services, and global tourism has halted. Flights are operating on a charter basis only.

“Currently, there are no cases of covid-19 in Cook Islands, Niue, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu.

“There are confirmed covid-19 cases in Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and PNG.

“Impact on all Pacific nations is significant, with the tourism sector and all associated businesses and sectors effectively shut down commercially and in maintenance mode at best,” the report says.

For instance, Fiji’s economy is projected to shrink by 4.9 percent in 2020, Cook Islands 2.2 percent, Samoa 3 percent, Tonga zero growth, Vanuatu 1 percent and Tuvalu 2.7 percent.

“If there were limited cases and no travel restrictions, New Zealanders are willing to travel,” the report goes on to say.

SPTO Releases Pacific Tourism Impact Report

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz