Ninety-five percent of tourists come to Papua New Guinea to do business. We must give them a reason to come back, says the human resource manager of Stanley Hotel, David Hannan.
PNG has no problem with attracting tourists, the only issue that confronts the country is setting up hotels to suit the needs of the tourists, stated the manager.
More is yet to be attained in this industry as Hannan also pointed out that one of the most significant problems with PNG’s tourism industry is that most hotels in the country tend to compete with each other, instead of working together to improve and further promote the industry.
Hannan was speaking at the 10th UPNG Tourism Conference, which was held on Tuesday at the Main Lecture Theatre. The theme for this year’s conference was ‘Promoting Sustainable Tourism Development through Inclusive Tourism Growth’.
More than 400 students from colleges like Mapex, TAFE and the Port Moresby Business College, came to listen to enlightening speeches and presentations on the growing tourism industry in the country.
This annual conference was organised by the third year UPNG Tourism and Hospitality Management students as a part of their assessments.
A tourism student explained that the event is often staged as a practical component to the course Conventions and Events Management. The staging of this one-day event marks the end of assessments for these students who have worked tirelessly to secure funds for it.
Major sponsors for the event included the National Gaming and Control Board and the Tourism Promotion Authority. Other sponsors include BS Mart, Coca-Cola, Holiday Leisure Travels, National Airports Corporation and Premium Consultancy.
(Students welcoming guests to the 10th UPNG Tourism Conference)