Tourism in

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

is a fledgling industry but there are attractions for the potential visitor which include

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, an ...

festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival ...

diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), a ...

, surfing,

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

and the unique

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''Biota (ecology ...

. Papua New Guinea receives an increasing number of visitors each year, with approximately 184,000 international arrivals in 2015.

History

In April 1883, James Burns and Robert Philp began a trading partnership, originally named the " Burns Philp & Company Limited". They were the first company to offer tourism to New Guinea, in 1884, advertising the 'New Guinea Excursion Trip'. This consisted of a five-week trip from

Thursday Island Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the Kawrareg dialect, Waiben or Waibene, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait. TI is located approximately north of Cape ...

and has been described as the "official beginning of tourist cruises in the South Pacific". The company later published a book titled ''Picturesque Travel''. By 1914 the Burns Philp Tourist Department was established advertising tours on Lord Howe and Norfolk Island. Acquisition of the Port Moresby Hotel occurred in the same year, with the Papua Hotel purchased some years later. Burns Philp "maintained a near monopoly on passenger services to Melanesia until the outbreak of the war in the Pacific". The war saw the British government take over some of the Burns Philp fleet and the vessel ''Macdui'' was sunk in Port Moresby in 1942 as its first voyage as a troop carrier.Buckley, K. and Klugman, K. (1983) ''The Australian Presence in the Pacific: Burns Philp 1914-1916'', George Allen & Unwin: Sydney

Attractions

Culture

The culture of Papua New Guinea is highly diverse, as implied by the existence of over 800 languages in the country. Styles of cultural expression - carving, dance, singing, ornamentation, architecture, and more - vary greatly across the nation.

Festivals

Public festivals which are open to tourists include the Coffee Festival in Goroka - May, National Mask Festival in Rabaul-July, Mt Hagen Show - August,

Goroka Show The Goroka Show is a well-known tribal gathering and cultural event in Papua New Guinea. It is a sing-sing held every year close to the country's Independence Day (16 September) in the town of Goroka, the capital of the Eastern Highlands Province. ...

- September, Hiri Moale Festival in

Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...

- September, Morobe Show in Lae - October, Kundu & Canoe Festival in Alotau - November.

Markets

The markets are a great drawcard for tourists. Along with local foods, arts and crafts are often on display and can be purchased for reasonable prices. Some of the items on display are traditional carvings and beadwork, traditional and contemporary paintings on canvas and traditionally woven baskets and serving trays. The larger more tourist oriented markets are usually held once a month in the larger towns.

Diving

PNG is arguably one of the best diving destinations in the world, having one of the healthiest coral reef systems on the planet. In addition to a large number of reef sites, there are also numerous wrecked World War II boats and aircraft, providing a wealth of Wreck Diving opportunities. Some of the best dive spots are at

West New Britain West New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea on the islands of New Britain. The provincial capital is Kimbe. The area of the province is 20,387 km² with a population of 264,264 as of the 2011 census. The province's only land border is ...

(including Kimbe Bay),

Kavieng Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2009, it had a population of 17,248. Kavi ...

Madang Madang (old German name: ''Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen'') is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 (in 2005) on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century. Histo ...

Alotau Alotau is the capital of Milne Bay Province, in the south-east of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern shore of Milne Bay. The town is located within Alotau Urban LLG. Alotau is also the annual forum for Australian and Papua New Guine ...

Tufi Tufi is a town located on the south eastern peninsula of Cape Nelson, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. Tufi is located on one of many rias, or drowned river valleys, locally referred to as 'fjords', on Cape Nelson surrounded by many uncharted ree ...

and

East New Britain East New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea, consisting of the north-eastern part of the island of New Britain and the Duke of York Islands. The capital of the province is Kokopo, not far from the old capital of Rabaul, which was largely de ...

(including Rabaul). The capital,

, also offers superb diving. Many of the diving spots are easily accessible by day trip boat, and there are many sites further out which can be dived from one of the many liveaboards offered locally.

Surfing

Surfing can be enjoyed all year round. The southern side of PNG includes places such as Hula Beach (100 km from Port Moresby), Milne Bay, Bougainville, and

which can be surfed from June through to September. In the north of PNG surfing season is mid October to late April. There are great surfing locations which include Madang,

Wewak Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city (seat) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak. ...

and Kavieng, with the better and more consistent waves found in

Vanimo Vanimo is the capital of Sandaun Province (West Sepik) in north-westernmost Papua New Guinea and of Vanimo-Green River District. It is located on a peninsula close to the border with Indonesia. Religion Its Holy Cross Pro-Cathedral is the epi ...

Hiking/Trekking

The most famous walking trail in Papua New Guinea is the

Kokoda Track The Kokoda Track or Trail is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs overland – in a straight line – through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The track was the location of the 1942 World War II battle between Japanes ...

, the site of a famous

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

battle between Australia and Japan. Another popular hike is climbing Mount Wilhelm, the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea. There are many more walking tracks, including the very rough

Bulldog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Black Cat Track The Black Cat Track or Trail is a rough overland track in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. It runs from the village of Salamaua on the coast of the Huon Gulf, south into the mountains to the township of Wau. In the 21st century despite being a ...

Security

Many countries have issued travel warnings to their citizens wishing to visit Papua New Guinea, due to its high level of violent crime, slow police response times and poor human rights record. Foreign nationals in Papua New Guinea have become tempting targets to criminals, especially those visiting from wealthier countries are more likely to become victims of violence and crime. Lone foreign females are usually advised not to travel unescorted in Port Moresby and in parts of the Highlands region due to the high risks of unwanted harassment and sexual assault. Travelers are usually advised by their origin countries to seek up-to-date information about the current situation before traveling and to only travel with qualified and experienced tour operators with extensive knowledge of Papua New Guinea and its local customs. It is generally advised by travel boards to never travel alone or at night in Papua New Guinea. LGBT travelers are usually advised to avoid traveling to Papua New Guinea entirely because homosexuality is criminalized and prohibited. Those caught engaging in anal sex can be sentenced with up to 14 years imprisonment. Other homosexual acts are punishable with up to 3 years imprisonment. Possession of pornographic material is also illegal. The use of

private security companies A private security company (PSC) is a business entity which provides armed or unarmed security services and expertise to clients in the private or public sectors. Overview Private security companies are defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Stat ...

are available to hire for tourists in Papua New Guinea as well as other security protection services.

Transport

Transport in Papua New Guinea is in many cases heavily limited by the mountainous terrain. The capital, Port Moresby, is not linked by road to any of the other major towns and many highland villages can only be reached by light aircraft or on foot.

References

External links

Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tourism in Papua New Guinea