PNGTPA announces the re-opening of Cruise Tourism

The Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority announces the re-opening of Cruise Tourism in Papua New Guinea.

Chief Executive officer of the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA) Eric Mossman Uvovo said Cruise Tourism was one of their key agendas for the year following the easing of travel restrictions back in Papua New Guinea for commercial shipping.

Uvovo said, “Cruise Tourism as we know today can be traced back to the beginning of 1960s coinciding with the decline of transoceanic ship travel and introduction of the first nonstop air travel between USA and Europe.”

“This is according to its history, however for PNG, Cruise Tourism is an essential part of our tourism program where visitors from all over the World can come to PNG and cruise around on our beautiful islands and enjoy the breathtaking scenery, including our blue seas, the lagoons, riverways, reef and many other beautiful sites we have across our islands.”

Uvovo said, “We all know that our country is blessed with an abundance of natural resources as well as the environment itself is a paradise on earth. We haven’t realized how beautiful our country is, from the Highlands to the coastal areas, we are richly blessed and at TPA, we want to showcase all these beautiful places to the world and Cruise Tourism will certainly play its part in making sure PNG is marketed and we bring in more tourists into our country.”

“Cruise Tourism involves an all-inclusive holiday on a cruise with a set and specific itinerary in which the cruise ship calls at several ports or cities and I tell you, our beautiful breath-taking islands and its seas inclusive of their natural and yet beautiful white sandy beaches, coral reefs, riverways, best diving spots, and many more is offered here in our country and that is where many tourists around the World will Love to see and experience first -hand, this is what PNG can offer in terms of Cruise Tourism,” the TPA CEO Uvovo said.

Uvovo said PNG with its diverse culture and landscape, it imperative that we bring back Tourism Cruise after it was stopped for over two years since the onset of the global pandemic in 2019.

The CEO said, our coastal villages are accessible through air and sea, and bringing back Cruise Tourism will enable our visitors to see our waters, seas and what it has to offer, we can attest to this simply by looking at the increase in cruise itineraries since 2009 when PNGTPA launched its Cruise Development Strategy. This strategy provided the pathway to strategically positioning PNG as an ideal cruise destination in the region whilst identifying the key infrastructure investments that were needed to meet the capacity of larger global cruise liners. Through strong partnerships with key stakeholders such as PNG Ports, NMSA, Department of Transport, Immigration, Customs, and NAQIA, the long-term impacts of cruise tourism have been felt in island communities that play host to an array of cruise passenger vessels.”

“It (Cruise Tourism) is certainly a luxurious form of traveling involving an all-inclusive holiday on a cruise with a specific Itinerary in which Cruise Ship calls at several ports or cities and voyage around our beautiful islands at the same time enjoying the best time of the lives on the ship or boat while seeing these places,” he said.

“This would not have been possible without the clearance from the controller’s office, other government agencies, and stakeholders who have been instrumental in the reopening of the Borders for commercial shipping in August this year.”

“We thank you Controller David Manning and office as well as the Department of Health, PNG Ports, Department of Transport, NAQIA, Customs, Immigration, and NMSA for the efforts put in the reopening of the borders.”

“I would like to take this time to thank you all for taking the step forward for the good of this beautiful country and re-opening the borders. Thank you for your effort and perseverance,” Uvovo said.

Uvovo thanked the international cruise liners and expedition ships that cruise PNG waters for their patience during the border restrictions, stating, “it has been a period of uncertainty with the onset of the pandemic and after effects, however, it was imperative that we restart economic activity for our island and riverway communities and welcome back our tourist in a safe manner, ensuring that all local cruise communities and tour operators are well versed with the Nuipela Pasin health and safety protocols. As such we look forward to welcoming back one of our big players in the region, Carnival Australia’s P&O Cruises, whose cruise ship Pacific Encounter is expected to berth in Alotau on Friday the 7th of October, 2022, on its inaugural port call following the closure of borders since 2019.”

Meanwhile, Uvovo said Carnival Australia has invested in a new multimillion state-of-the-art cruise terminal in Brisbane taking into consideration the proximity to PNG and the rest of the Pacific which will increase significantly cruise itineraries in the next five years.

For further information, email the Policy & Planning Division of the Tourism Promotion Authority: policy@papuanewguinea.travel  

Above: (L-R) Deputy Controller National Pandemic Response Dr. Daoni Esorom, Minister for Tourism Arts & Culture Hon. Isi Henry Leonard, PNGTPA CEO Mr. Eric Mossman Uvovo 

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Oliver Smith

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Oliver Smith

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Oliver Smith

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