The Asian Development Bank’s Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI) has released recommendations for Papua New Guinea on Domestic Tourism Data Collection Methodologies. 

The publication of this study in April this year follows a series of stakeholder engagements from 1st to 2nd June last year, including a workshop conducted in Port Moresby which was facilitated by PSDI with the support of the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA).  

The study responds to TPA’s need to determine baseline understandings of the scope for domestic tourism development. It highlights the promise in PNG’s domestic tourism data before the pandemic and emphasizes the need for reliable data collection methodologies to inform policy-making and measuring performance in the sector.  

TPA’s CEO, Eric Mossman Uvovo, said that the launch of the study signifies a significant step for PNGTPA.   “As we embark on a journey to strengthen our focus on the domestic market, especially encouraging our people to explore their own backyard. Establishing baseline data through one of the recommended approaches suggested in this study offers a start to quantifying the scope and nature of domestic tourism potential.”  

“The publication of this study marks the dawn of a new era for PNG’s tourism industry. It provides us with a clear roadmap to strengthen our vast potential for domestic tourism, laying the foundation for a resilient tourism landscape that benefits both our citizens and our economy,” said Uvovo. 

For insights into the potential and development of domestic tourism in Papua New Guinea, the study on Domestic Tourism Data Collection Methodologies can be downloaded through this link: https://www.pacificpsdi.org/assets/Uploads/PSDI-ST-WP-DDC-PNG.pdf