A rise in ancient frontline tourism across a variety of international destinations has excelled attention on a key niche market with potential for Papua New Guinea, as the country begins preparations for a series of events commemorating the 75th anniversary of strategic battles fought during the Second World War.
The country’s untouched wilds and close proximity to key regional markets are also likely give the tourism industry an extra boost in the coming years, though its total contribution to the national economy will remain relatively modest, at around 2% of GDP.
PNG’s tourism industry is anticipated to expand by 6.7% this year, with annual growth averaging 5.3% through to 2025, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, placing it in the top 10% of the 184 countries measured in terms of forecast growth.
Some 172,000 international visitors are anticipated to visit by year’s end, climbing to 238,000 per annum by 2025, the council noted. The governments of PNG and Australia are planning a series of commemorative events in 2017 and 2018 to mark the 75th anniversary of the battles that took place in PNG between the Allies and the Japanese during the Second World War.
The scheduled activities will focus on and around an area known as the Kokoda Track, a winding trail in the centre of the country that marks the spot where Allied troops, mainly Australians and Papuans, halted the Japanese offensive on Port Moresby and drove back invading forces in a series of battles in 1942-43.
0 comments :
Post a Comment