The Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) attended the 2024 Global Bird Fair (GBF) on Friday 12 to Sunday 14 July to showcase Papua New Guinea’s exceptional birding potential in Rutland, Oakham, UK.
TPA’s participation in this B2B trade fair event provided a valuable platform for connecting with international birding tour operators, travel agents, and conservation organizations.
The event was highly productive, with over 50 qualified leads generated through meetings and discussions with potential birding tourism partners, including tour operators, travel agents, conservation groups, media representatives, photographers, and bird watchers. This engagement led to increased awareness of Papua New Guinea as a premier birding destination among key industry players, established valuable connections for future travel packages, and sparked media interest in PNG’s birding industry.
The presence of professional PNG bird photographer Dustin Chen, whose high-resolution images and expertise also drew considerable attention, effectively directing sales to Papua New Guinea-based tour operators.
A TPA representative who attended the event, Product Development Officer, David Monai, said that the PNG booth was one of the main attractions.
“Our booth was a focal point at the event, featuring high-quality photographs of Papua New Guinea’s diverse birdlife and birding destinations, with informative brochures, maps, and promotional materials. The booth also offered one-on-one and small group information sessions, providing a personalized approach for attendees.
The connections made at the GBF have opened doors for potential partnerships and future initiatives to promote responsible birding practices and community development in Papua New Guinea. Our plans now are to maintain communication with interested parties, provide further
information and support to potential tour operators, and explore collaboration opportunities with conservation organizations,” said Monai.
TPA’s CEO, Eric Mossman Uvovo highlighted the importance of PNG’s presence at the GBF.
“The success at the event highlights the growing demand for bird watching from the UK and European markets. To capitalize on this, we start preparing ourselves early for next year’s Global Bird Fair. After a hiatus of 5-6 years due to Covid-19 restrictions, the post-Covid bookings and travel plans secured at this year’s fair emphasizes the need for continuous participation.
Proper training and capacity building for PNG birding industry stakeholders are crucial to meet market demands. This includes standard compliance, bird identification, constructing hides near leks, placing bird feeders, and using bird box solar-powered cameras,” said Uvovo.
Uvovo commended his team for their participation in this year’s GBF.
“Our participation in this year’s Global Bird Fair was a resounding success, providing a strategic platform to showcase our exceptional birding potential and establish vital connections within the global birding tourism industry, which will ultimately lead to empowering our local and rural communities in PNG,” said Uvovo. ◼️
📸: Top banner image, (L-R) PNG Tourism Promotion Authority’s Product Development Officer, David Monai with Air Niugini’s UK office representative, Steve Bresh, Paiya Tours Owner, Pym Mamindi, Flight Directors’s Managing Director, Vikki Joyce and TPA’s UK & Europe’s Trade Marketing representative, Robin Russell-Pavier at the PNG Booth during the 2024 Global Bird Fair in the UK.
For more information, email: info@papuanewguinea.travel
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