Papua New Guinea Launches National Tourism Rebranding Programme

PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA — 29 June 2026 — The Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA) today announced the launch of the PNG Rebranding and Image Improvement Programme — a four-month national initiative to redevelop Papua New Guinea’s destination brand, refresh PNGTPA’s corporate identity, and build a new global communications and public relations strategy for the country.

PNGTPA has appointed Trove Tourism Development Advisors, a global tourism consultancy headquartered in New York City with offices in London, to lead the Programme. Trove will be supported by VERGE Papua New Guinea, a Port Moresby-based agency specialising in strategic communications solutions informed by stakeholder engagement. Trove brings deep Pacific destination-branding experience, and VERGE in collaboration with PNGTPA drives stakeholder engagement to draw out local knowledge and insights from across all four regions of PNG.

The Programme will deliver a new national destination brand, a complete brand identity system, a rollout roadmap for industry and government adoption, and a global communications strategy designed to position Papua New Guinea competitively in international tourism markets — while remaining grounded in the country’s place, people, and cultural identity.

“This is one of the most significant tourism initiatives PNG has undertaken in recent years,” said Joel Keimelo, Executive Manager, Marketing and Promotions at the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority. “This Programme is about telling the PNG story clearly, credibly, and consistently — and ensuring that the brand we present to the world is grounded in the voices of Papua New Guineans themselves.”

The project team is led by Trove, the leading tourism marketing and strategy agency who has worked extensively in 50+ destinations including several in the Pacific region. “Papua New Guinea is an extraordinary place filled with stories and history,” said Danny Cohanpour, CEO and Founder of Trove. “Our approach is to build destination brands from the ground up — through deep engagement with communities, government, and the tourism industry.”

VERGE Papua New Guinea is the Programme’s local agency, working alongside Trove at the intersection of tourism, community development, and cultural engagement. “Our role is to ensure this Programme listens — properly — to Papua New Guinea,” said Zha Agabe-Granfar, Executive Director of VERGE Papua New Guinea. “We will be in all four regions, in consulting communities, holding sessions where people can share their views in their own words.”

A National Listening Exercise

Between June and September 2026, the Programme will run one of the most extensive tourism research exercises ever undertaken in Papua New Guinea. The work combines five integrated research streams:

• In-person stakeholder consultations across all four PNG regions — Port Moresby (Southern), Lae (Momase), Mt Hagen (Highlands), and Rabaul (Islands) 
• Five virtual thematic focus groups covering key themes like history, heritage, culture, adventure, sports, and tourism trade; 
• An international traveller survey capturing both the perception of PNG among travellers who have not visited the country and the lived experience of those who have;
• A nationwide Resident Pride and Place Survey
• Significant global sentiment and competitor research, drawing on continuous social and media monitoring and benchmarking.

Have Your Say: A Call to All Who Call PNG Home

PNGTPA, Trove, and VERGE are inviting every Papua New Guinean to have their say in the Resident Pride and Place Survey. The survey takes no more than 10-15 minutes to complete — and your perspective is a pivotal part of this Programme.

Have your say here: https://papua-new-guinea-tourism.info/4vIPHmQ

Residents are encouraged to complete the survey and share it widely — with family, friends, Wantoks, colleagues, churches, schools, and community networks across PNG and the diaspora