Delegates and officials from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation member economies are in Kokopo, East New Britain, to discuss issues focused on fostering economic development in the APEC region.
Minister for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Tobias Kulang, officially opened the 49th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation-APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting yesterday.
They hope to nurture development through sustainable tourism, inclusive growth, developing the tourism workforce, travel facilitation, trade and investment liberalisation and advancing tourism numbers within the APEC region.
Minister Kulang told the APEC delegates and officials that Papua New Guinea is much honoured to host the meeting for the first time outside of Port Moresby since 1993, when PNG joined APEC.
“The Asia Pacific region is currently the most significant contributor to the advancement and growth of tourism numbers globally,” said the Minister.
“This is reflective of the above average market growth with the region, which registered a 9 percent growth rate within the first four months of the region, according to the UN World Tourism Organization.
“I welcome the outcomes from the 9th APEC Tourism Ministers Meeting hosted by Peru in Lima on the 28th and 29th of May this year under the theme ‘Connecting Asia-Pacific Tourism Through Travel Facilitation’, emphasising air connectivity and travel facilitation as key catalyst to further enhance economic development through travel and tourism in the APEC region.”
Kulang said Papua New Guinea will host APEC in 2018, and the 49th Tourism Working Group Meeting is one of the many lead up meetings.
“The Tourism Working Group Meeting is the first APEC meeting PNG is hosting since 1993 outside the capital, Port Moresby.
“Papua New Guinea is fully committed to working alongside APEC member economies to advance and promote better understanding and recognition of tourism as an engine for economic growth and prosperity, ensure sustainability and inclusive growth in the travel and tourism sector, promote labour, skills development and certification in order to develop the tourism workforce in the region and promote competitiveness and regional integration through policy alignment and structural reform,” he said.
“I look forward to a fruitful meeting and anticipate constructive discussions and ways forward to advance our tourism industry within the Asia Pacific Region.
“I welcome you all delegates to PNG’s tourism hub, Rabaul and Kokopo, in the beautiful East New Britain Province.”
The 49th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting ends on Friday.