Papua New Guinea has recorded a drop in visitor arrivals in 2015.
This was slightly below the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority’s focus to record 200,000 arrivals in 2015.
Statistics from PNGTPA has revealed that in 2015, PNG received about 198,685 international visitors.
PNGTPA acting chief executive officer Eric Mossman Uvovo said the huge drop in arrival is due to employment and the wind down of the LNG construction.
The arrivals in 2015 indicate that nearly 35 percent (69,540) of our visitors come for business purposes.
Another 26 percent (51,658) come for employment, 27 percent (53,645) as tourists, 7 percent (13,908) came to visit friends and relatives and 5 percent (9,934) for employment in the mining sector.
Australia remains the biggest of the market with 49 percent (97,356) of total arrival.
The Asian market takes up 13 percent (25,829) followed by Germany with 9 percent (17,882), the United Kingdom with 6 percent (11,921) and the United States with 4 percent (7,947) of the total arrivals.
Other countries from Europe make up another 9 percent of the market while the remaining 10 percent (7,947) come from other countries.
Uvovo explained that this means most visitors that arrive on PNG shores are Australians.
He said that over the last 10 years we had seen a number of growth however, the trend is still consistent.
Since 2005 our visitor arrival was 69,250 and has gradually increased to 198 685 in 2015.
Uvovo also revealed that as for the total earnings as per foreign exchange earnings, in 2015 they estimated a little close to K2 billion compared to 2005 which was only K600 million.
Foreign exchange earnings by tourists also improved since 2005 from K154 million to K540 million.
Uvovo said tourism can contribute immensely to the country’s economy if proper marketing and promotion is done on the tourism sites and destinations.
Picture source: www.tufidive.com