A tourism operator in Papua New Guinea says he does not expect the number of Australians visiting the Kokoda Track to decline because of Tuesday's fatal plane crash.
Nine Australians making a pilgrimage to the famous World War Two track, were among the 13 people killed when the Airlines PNG charter flight crashed in the Owen Stanley Ranges.
Chris Stevens says plane crashes occur throughout the world, and this is not going to isolate tourism in the Kokoda area.
He says he has no qualms about aviation safety in the region.
"I'm not an expert in the airline industry but from a tour operator that regularly flies over there, I don't have an issue and I'm not a cowboy by any stretch of the imagination. But I'm more than happy to jump on their planes and do what we do and take trekkers over."
Chris Stevens says 5 to 6-thousand people a year visit the Kokoda Track, with three or four flights a day taking tourists there during the trekking season.
