Tourism is a sleeping giant: Minister

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, January 17, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

THE new Minister for Tourism Culture and Arts, Justin Tkatchenko has ensured to put to good use major funding allocated in the 2016 budget in awakening what he described as a sleeping giant, the tourism sector in Papua New Guinea.

After spearheading a successful Pacific Games last year in Port Moresby as sports minister- Mr Tkatchenko adds onto the portfolio the tourism ministry in a bid by the O’Niell-Dion Government to diversify revenue streams in the country in light of fledging commodity prices predicted to fall into the 2016 year.

He thanked the Prime Minister O’Neill for confidence in him to deliver one of the government’s priorities for the New Year, adding that it would not be an easy task to achieve.

“It is a huge challenge. Tourism is a sleeping giant waiting to be awaken, and we have got so much we can do with it and this year it has got a budget to go with it,” Minister Tkatchenko said.

“The government this year has put K50 million for the promotion, marketing and development of tourism in Papua New Guinea and abroad, which is the first time in history that tourism has got that kind of funding.”

“As minister I will ensure that we direct that funding in the right way, to promote our fantastic country. And also develop and help our current operators be bigger than they have ever been before.”

The minister said that it is time to get government and the private sector involvement in private-public partnerships to develop tourism to benefit everyone.

“I have seen a lot of the beauty of our country for many years as the PNG Gardener through promoting our country through television and also through radio.”

“It is about every single person coming onboard and being a proud Papua New Guinean promoting our country. A lot of this is not going to happen overnight. It is going to take time and patience, and going to take a lot of effort.

He made mention of the achievements made by his predecessor in his brief capacity as acting-minister, National Planning Minister Charles Abel for the success of the direct flights from Australia to Alotau, with visa on arrival privileges for visiting tourists as the step in the right direction that could be emulated in other tourist attracting provinces.

“A lot of us have to change our attitude, a lot of us have to change the way we look at things to put a more positive spin to our country.”

Adding after yet another attack on tourists on Monday along the famous Kokoda Track, there is the need for a system of development of putting down law and order, so as to attract more people and ensure safety and security.

“The biggest problem we have is law and order. It scares off our potential tourists, so we have a big challenge ahead of us trying to get numbers into the country.”