TOURISM LEGISLATION REFORM TO SUPPORT MODERN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

BY JOE REMA

PAPUA New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA), together with its legal team, recently hosted a National Tourism Legislation Reform Workshop as part of its ongoing program to review and strengthen the legal framework governing the tourism sector in Papua New Guinea.

The two-day workshop was at Muruks Lodge in Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, and attended by participants from across the tourism sector, including tourism operators, small and medium enterprise (SME) owners, aspiring business operators and other industry stakeholders, including number of foreign participants, of Chinese origin involved in the tourism industry.

PNGTPA Executive Manager Ingrid Kuman said the reform process was focused on reviewing and updating existing laws, including the Tourism Promotion Act 1993, which has guided the country’s tourism industry for more than three decades.

“Many tourism laws in PNG were created in the 1990s and no longer reflect the current tourism environment,” Ms Kuman said.

She said the proposed reforms would update legislation to address emerging trends such as digital tourism marketing, international travel standards and post-pandemic tourism recovery.

The tourism legislation reform is expected to strengthen the sector’s contribution to the national economy by creating employment opportunities, supporting small businesses and generating income for local communities across the country.

The reform process aims to ensure tourism legislation supports modern tourism development and contributes more effectively to national economic growth.

Participants discussed a range of issues affecting the tourism industry, with feedback and recommendations collected to help shape proposed new laws and policies for the sector.