Papua New Guinea has been encouraged to grasp the potential multimillion dollar benefits that cruise tourism could provide the country.
Photo: RNZI / Koro Vaka'uta
A World Bank study said US$4.5 million was generated from the industry last year and that amount was likely to increase.
Alotau, Rabaul, Kitava, Doini Island and Kiriwina all received economic boosts.
A spokesperson, Nimarta Chung-Banga, said that, for example, each ship that visited Kokopo brought around US$100,000 to the town.
Ms Chung-Banga said infrastructure improvements were needed and locals needed to be educated on tourism to fully capitalise on the potential for growth.
She said cruise tourism was a great way of opening up a destination, which could lead to increasing air arrivals.
"Cruise tourism helps the focus to be on developing good tours that mesh with tourists and based on their liking. Developing a good variety of tours, ensuring all the destinations that are covered in the tours are well developed and are able to tackle the tourists that want to come in . So in terms of product development, it makes the destination ready," said Nimarta Chung-Banga.
