Tourism – High Commission of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the world’s most stunningly beautiful country on the planet. Soaring mountain peaks, unspoiled beaches, lush forests, unique flora and fauna and the cultural richness of the people combine to make PNG an increasingly popular destination for tourists.

Ours is a country endowed with tremendous tourist attractions that is underpinned by its rich natural environment and cultural heritage.

The tourist attractions emanate from PNG’s rich natural environment constituting 5-7% of the world’s biological diversity found in less than 1% of world’s land mass. The country also has one third (1/3rd) of the world’s pristine tropical rainforest.

The beautiful Highlands Region is cool with rugged mountain ranges, valleys, fast-flowing rivers, with rich flora and fauna as well as animals and birds that are endemic to our country. For instance, of the world’s 43 Bird of Paradise species, 38 are found in our country.

PNG is part of the Coral Triangle, considered as the global epicenter of marine species biodiversity. This explains the abundance of rich and diverse marine environment with pristine coral reefs-home to over 600 species of coral, 3000 species of reef fish, fisheries, tuna, sharks and other rich marine life. It is simply stated as the richest area of marine biodiversity in the world.

The incredibly rich marine biodiversity provides the best scuba diving spots in the world. Apart from enjoying the natural wonders of marine life, Scuba Divers can also see wreck dive sites containing ships, aircraft and submarines from World War II.

PNG is the most culturally and linguistically diverse country on the planet. A country of about 8 million people speaking 860 different languages, that is 20% of the world’s languages.

The tourists and other visitors enjoy the cultural celebrations staged annually at the Cultural Shows at various parts of the country. These events enable the people to showcase their rich traditions and culture in traditional regalia, dances, singing, rituals, and other festivities. The most popular shows are the Hiri Moale Festival in Port Moresby; Mount Hagen, Goroka and Enga Cultural Show in the Highlands Region; the National Mask Warwagira Festival in Kokopo, Sepik River Festival, Kenu, and Kundu Festival in Milne Bay, to name a few.

For tourist and visitors, coming to PNG and seeing our robust and thriving cultural heritage is like making a journey back in time and meeting their long lost and forgotten traditions and culture.

One has so much to see in a single visit to the country and therefore it is referred to as “The land of a million different journeys”.

The development of the tourism industry is a priority area for the government as it is vital for economic development, employment generation, and improvement to the wellbeing and living standards of the people. This is reflected in the important incentives that the Government offers to foreign investors in the development of the tourism industry.

Further details about the PNG’s tourism industry can be found in the PNG Tourism Authority Website: http//www.pngtourism.gov.pg