Papua New Guinea's tourism ministry will spend 1.5 million US dollars promoting tourism to Milne Bay and East New Britain provinces.
The new tourism minister, Justin Tkatchencko, says PNG needs to look at its own backyard first and make tourism more viable before promoting it on the world stage.
PNG Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko. Photo: Facebook / Hon Justin W Tkatchenko MP
He says there's a proposal to offer better tax breaks for tourism business owners.
Mr Tkatchencko says next week he will call all tourism operators and resort owners in those eastern provinces to a meeting to ask how he can help.
"We'll use those two hubs as a developmental tourism destination. Develop it, train the people, create the products, get it all up and going and get the airlines involved. Once we get a couple of provinces correct and right and in order, we can use those as examples then to spread out to the rest of the country."
Justin Tkatchencko says Air Niugini is already set to fly direct from Brisbane to Alotau in Milne Bay with visas on arrival granted to tourists.
