SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC POLICY

TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

DIVISION

3.10704: DOMESTIC TOURISM

MAJOR PROJECT – SEM 1/2023

EAST NEW BRITAIN: “THE

IMPDIMENTS AND BENEFITS OF
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT”
MEMBERS NAME ID NUMBER
Arnold KERRO 202230257
Billy MOSES 202230318
Robert YAWATU 202230421
Johnny PELAM 202230337

Lecturer: Ms. Imelda Zilah ATU

Due-Date: 28TH/04/2023
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENT Page

Table of Contents
1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………1
2. Methodology………………………………………………………………...1-2
3. Findings and Discussion;
3.1. Analysis on the appeal of East New Britain………………………………….2-3
3.2. Key features of East New Britain……………………………………………..4-6
3.3. Main activities and special interest pursuits in East New Britain…………..7
3.4. Impediments and Benefits of Tourism Development in East New Britain…8-10

4. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………10-11
Recommendation……………………………………………………………11

1. Introduction
East New Britain is an island province in Papua New Guinea that lies between 4 and 6
degrees south of the equator. It is surrounded by sea with so many natural resources as well
as man-made features which made East New Britain a tropical paradise. Its people have been
seen as diverse culturally with rich and unique traditions. These few factors made East New
Britain as one of the most important tourist destinations in the country.

In this report the main discussion will be based on the impediments and benefits for
development for tourism industry with in East New Britain province. The features, special
interests and main activities that gives the province potential for tourism development will
also be outlined in this report. Some of the keys features that attracts tourists include, Mt.
Tavurvur, Rabaul War Cemetery, Kokopo War Museum, New Guinea Club and War
Museum, Rabaul Scenic Tours and Paivu Tours Rabaul. The island of Rabaul is both
occupied by active and dormant volcanoes, some of them bellowing great clouds of black
ash-layer smoke. All the volcanoes, except Tavurvur, can be climbed. Sometimes rain can
cause landslide. The Vulcan is best tackled on the northern side and the deep fissures can
make it difficult to climb. Always take plenty of water with you. In the War cemetery, the
graves of more than 1,000 soldiers from Australia, British and other British allied countries
are still there. And the Kokopo War Museum holds a great collection of the remains of
World-War Ⅰ and Ⅱ such as the shot down aircrafts, anti-aircraft guns, vehicles etc.

Some other features that attracts tourist to East New Britain includes; Vunapope catholic
mission, Malmalun lookout, Japanese Bunkers, Tunnels and War relics, the Duke and York
island, the Sub-marine Bay which was the Japanese supply base and Simpson harbor where
the fifty-five Japanese ships were sunk during the war. The following are the analysis on the
appeal of the place, key features, special interests and main activities and the discussion on
the impediments and benefits of development of tourism industry in East New Britain
Province.

2. Methodology

For the purpose of this report writing, qualitative research had been done. The data collected
and presented in this report are based on facts and real situations. Data presented in this
report are very useful in related topics to the one presented in this report and can be also
reviewed to answer many other questions related to the concerned topic. The methods used in
collecting this useful and important data are very reliable. The following are some of the
methods that were used to collect data regarding the concerned topic.
The qualitative data were collected using different desktop research flatforms or online
flatforms such as Wikipedia, micro-soft edge, google, etc. and digital libraries were also used
and app links. The sources were used in-order to find evidences of the impediments and
benefits of Tourism Industry Development in the chosen destination that were published
between January of 1990 and March 2020.

The methods used were mostly secondary data and internet-based. Report researches were
done using the key words impediments and benefits of development. The data based used
were online library, science direct, google scholar, research gate and websites. A few
research articles about impediments and benefits of developments were also found in national
research journals. The researches were made organizational and governmental websites, such
as P.N.G Tourism Promotion Authority (P.N.G T.P.A.), National parliament, SPC statistics
for developments division and United World Tourism organization (U.N.W.T.O). The results
were based on secondary data collected in this paper. The main aim of this report is to
identify and discuss the impediments and benefits of Tourism Industry Development in East
New Britain province.

3. Findings and Discussion

3.1. East New Britain (Rabaul)

3.1.1 Analysis on the appeal of the place

East New Britain was one of the first places in Papua New Guinea to be visited by tourist,
early explorers and navigators. It covers a total land area of 15 816.59 Km with a tropical
rainforest vegetation and most parts of the land are covered with rugged mountain ranges
(PNG Business and street Directory, 2006, pp.34, ⁋1). The tropical climate of the province
with its evergreen rainforest vegetation and rugged mountain ranges, the imposing volcanoes
which surrounds the town of Rabaul and the beautiful Simpson harbor are the significant
elements of the beauty of Rabaul. The marine resources are diverse and the tropical
environment provides opportunities for various tourism activities such as bush trekking,
mountain climbing and cave exploration (PNG Business and Street Directory, 2006, pp.34,
⁋4).

War wrecks are also found in the nearby shores of Rabaul town. The visibility makes the
war-wrecks an exciting diving spot all year round. Diving trips, day tours as well as
chartering boats for fishing can be organized by few available tour operators in Rabaul. The
lagoons and historical island provide an amazing attraction for both domestic and
international tourist.

Rabaul and the Gazalle peninsula of the East New Britain province are the fascinating and
unique place to visit by both visitors from other provinces as well as internationally. Rabaul
has been one of the more attractive holiday destinations, not only in the Papua New Guinea
but also internationally due to its beautiful natural scenery, rich, diversified and unique
traditional culture as well as the friendliness of the local people that gave tourists a
welcoming atmosphere.

All three modes of transport namely; air, land and sea play important roles in East New
Britain’s travel and tourism industry. Due to the fact that the East New Britain province is an
island whose topography is undulating, airlines play an important role in transporting local
and international tourists to and from Rabaul (PNG Business and Street Directory, 2006,
pp.37, ⁋2). Sea transports such as ships and boats also make an easy access to the travel of
tourists and provides cheaper fare compared to airlines travel services. Local transports such
as PMVs and buses provides transport with in Rabaul.

There are also wide range of accommodation options available for group or individual
visitors who had the intention to travel to East New Britain. These range from backpackers to
style-rooms, guest houses, pleasant beach resorts and hotels. There is in fact a wide range of
accommodations to suit all budgets and preferences. This is why, Rabaul continues to attract
a great number of tourists from overseas, especially the Japanese. Since the rebuilding of
Rabaul and Kokopo, the local tourism industry has been picking up and there is steady
growth of tourism since then.

East New Britain also has various fast food outlets around in Kokopo town. Fresh fruits are
available in the town’s main market and supermarkets (PNG Business and Street Directory,
2006, pp.36, ⁋3). The resorts had decent restaurants which overlooks the sea and sea food is
the most fascinating dish to enjoy there. The hotels also had restaurants that prepares various
kinds of dishes upon request from guest.

3.2. Key Features of East New Briatin (Tourist Destination)

3.2.1. Mt. Tavurvur
 Mt. Tavurvur and the whole Rabaul caldera in which it
sits is a fascinating and stunningly beautiful tropical
paradise. Mt. Tavurvur is one of the most active
volcanoes in the country which erupted in 1994 and
subsequent eruptions in 2014 and 2017. While travelling
from Rabaul to the mountain, you’ll come across what

Figure 1. Mt. Tavurvur

was left of downtown Rabaul. There were hotels,
government offices, schools, homes and work places as well as the airport and golf course
which were all destroyed in 1994 eruption (Tripadvisor reviews on Mt. Tavuvur, ⁋1). All the
active volcanoes in Rabaul are closely monitored from nearby volcanic observatory, which
makes the place worth a visit too. The site not only offers the volcanic scenes but also has hot
springs that flows into the sea which is about thirty meters long, two meters wide and 100°C
hot. Apart from the attractive scenes offered, there is a souvenir market nearby that the locals
sell bilums, baskets and crafts such as carvings, necklaces, hand-bands and etc.

3.2.2. Rabaul War Cemetery

This is one of the immaculate cemeteries that was

beautifully kept. It is in a garden setting. And very
historical and beautifully kept, most of the
Australians, British and British allied troops are
also buried there. The large plaques on the gates
describing the World-War Ⅰ and World-War Ⅱ

Figure 2. Rabaul War Cemetery

battles fought in that area (Tripadvisor Reviews,
2019-2021). It is well kept place of remembrance and very moving to pay reverence. It is
worth your visit too.

3.2.3. Kokopo War Museum

The Museum housed numerous World-War Ⅱ

relics including posters and documents. The
grounds were very interesting filled with aircraft
guns, torpedoes, worn out or torn Japanese
planes and artillery shot down in World-War Ⅱ.
The Museum is on two floors in multiple
Figure 3. Kokopo War Museum
buildings and holds not only the war relics but
artifacts and exhibits on the history of the island from early days, through colonization by
Germans and occupation by Japanese in World-War Ⅱ. The Museum also has photographs of
Rabaul before the volcanic eruption in 1994. The Museum is not far from Rapopo and has
very friendly staff so it is worth a visit too (Trip advisor reviews, 2021).

3.2.4. New Guinea and Rabaul Museum

The Museum is one of the interesting places with

great information about the area and the Japanese
invasion in World-War Ⅱ and allied campaign.
Outside the Museum you will find the bunker that
was once used by the Japanese famous high
commander general Yamamoto. From the dock to
Figure 4. New Guinea Club and Rabaul Museum
the Museum, you will walk 4 Km east, passing the
island supermarket, St Francis Xavier church and Rabaul hotel to the Museum complex. The
Museum was originally a German New Guinea club which was converted to a museum and
has lots and lots of history which are well presented. It contains war remnants (torpedo, tanks,
guns, airplane), exhibits on German and Japanese occupation, and descriptions of the
Australians efforts to remove them (Trip advisor reviews, 2019-2020). Outside of the
museum, there are always local children who sings to the tourist in front of the Admiral
Yamamoto Bunker. A place with a rich history and worth a visit.

3.2.5. Rabaul Scenic Tours

Rabaul Scenic Tours is one of the best local tour company

Figure 5. Rabaul Scenic Tours
Operator Judith with Tourists.
that has a range of tours of various lengths of time around the
beautiful and historical scenes in Rabaul. The local company
is organized and manage by Judith. Judith is very professional
when dealing with or approaching tourist who are interested
in visiting Rabaul through her company. The company offers
a various lengths of time tours provided with a local guide,
driver and muscle. Some of the beautiful and historical places
that are visited are Mt. Tavurvur and the hot volcanic spring, The New Guinea club and
Rabaul Museum, The Admiral Yamamoto Bunker, Judith’s village which the local children
entertains the tourists and the women demonstrate how to cook the traditional “mumu”, the
volcanic observatory, and the Simpson harbor etc (Trip advisor reviews, 2021).

3.2.6. Paivu Tours Rabaul

Paivu Tours Rabaul is another of the local

companies that has a range of tours of various
lengths of time to visit the fascinating and
historical places of Rabaul. The local
company is organized and managed by Serah.
Figure 6. Paiva Tours Rabaul. As mentioned by one of the tourists, Serah is
a marvel, she is very professional and passionate to organize and provide a very satisfying
service to the visiting tourists. The local company provide a tour guide and a driver for a
single trip which is cheaper than the other tour service providers. Most of the local guides are
very confident, informative, fluent in English and very polite and heart-warming compared to
tour guides from other local tour companies. Some of the places visited are the Kokopo War
Cemetery, Japanese Barge Tunnels, Kokopo Museum and Relics, Kokopo Market, Bitapaku
Cemetery, past the floating crane wreckage, Rabaul Country club, Volcanic Observatory,the
old Rabaul and the hot springs etc (Trip advisor reviews, 2021).

3.3. Here are some of the Main Activities and Special Interest pursuits
enjoyed by visitors of Rabaul

Volcano Tours: Rabaul is known for its active and dormant volcanoes. Take a tour to Mt.
Tavurvur and explore the volcanic landscape and crater lakes.

Historical Tour: Rabaul has a rich history with numerous remains from the world-war Ⅱ
battles and the ruins of old Japanese bunkers. Visit the Rabaul war cemetery, the Kokopo
War Museum, and the Bita Paka War Cemetery to learn more about the province history.
Scuba Diving and Snorkeling: Rabaul’s crystal clear waters are perfect for underwater
exploration. Go scuba diving or snorkeling to see the colorful coral reefs and diverse marine
life.

Cultural Experiences: Immerse yourself in the unique culture of Papua New Guinea by
visiting the local markets, attending traditional dance performances and learning about the
local customs and traditions.

`Island Hopping: Rabaul is surrounded by several small islands that are perfect for a day
trip. Visit Matupit island, Duke of York island, and New Britain island to experience the
different cultures, landscapes and beaches.

Bird Watching: Papua New Guinea is home to some of the world’s most unique birds
spicies. Take a bird watching tour in Rabaul to see the beautiful birds in their natural habitat.

Surfing: Rabaul has some of the beast surfing spots in the pacific. Surf the waves at the
nearby surf breaks such as Nusa island, Malaguna and Black cat.

Trekking and Hiking: Explore Rabaul’s lush rainforests and volcanic landscapes by going
on a trek or hike. Mt. Mother Hubbard, Vulcan volcano, and Mt. Bagana are some of the
popular hiking destinations.

Hot Springs: Visit the hot springs in Rabaul to relax and rejuvenate in the warm, mineral-
rich water.

Local Cuisine: Sauple the local cuisine, including fresh seafood, tropical fruits, and
traditional dishes such as Kokoda and “mumu”. The Kokopo market is a great place to try
local delicacies.

2.3. The Impediments and Benefits of East New Britain

Tourism Industry Development

The findings and research done by our group to provide analysis on the appeal of the place,
identify key features and main activities and special interest pursuits that attracts most tourist
to visit East New Britain Province have already been stated above. From the findings and
research done, we have concluded that the province itself had a lot of potential in facilitating
the growth of tourism as an industry, therefore, there would be discussion in this part of the
report regarding the benefits of tourism development in East New Britain province. However,
firstly we would discuss some of the impediments that is slowing or stopping the
development of tourism in East New Britain province. The following are some of the key
impediments/challenges of tourism development in East New Britain province;

2.4.1. Impediments of Tourism Development

2.4.1. 1.No Proper Safety and Security

Law and order issues are a one of the major concerns not only for the tourism industry
development but also other business sectors in the Province (Dinnem, 1997) featured
prominently in social media, public forum, newspaper and other media outlets. Local people
had also been expressing their concern on the on-going criminal activities such as robberies,
petty-crimes, hold-ups, rape, tribal fights and many more but to no avail. These issues had
been increasing and are still increasing as of today, there is a 65% increase in reported crime
rate ever since it started (Bhanugupan, 2001). During this period of the increasing crime rate,
there had been many murders committed, sexual offences, robberies and others that were
reported in the period. Over the years, the general public and the national media companies
had protested and petitioned over the government to be responsible in addressing crime
committed by poor and disadvantaged members of the community, but nothing had been
done to reduce crime rate of East New Britain and the country as a whole (Nanau 2020, Sali
2018, Sumb 2019). These issues alone had adverse effects on the tourism industry
development in East New Britain.

2.4.1.2. Negative Media Publicity

One of the most effective way to market tourism products is through media publicity.
However, in East New Britain province and also other provinces, there is no corporation
between the media companies in PNG (especially the two newspaper companies) and the
Tourism Promotion Authorities, therefore, often the negative news in the province always
hits the front page of newspapers. Often the headline or the top news is about murder, rape,
tribal fights, robbery, car-thief and petty-crime etc. that cause the people to have negative
perceptions about the province. When this happens, it misleads other international media
companies such as Australian Broadcasting cooperation, whose news coverage includes PNG
and contribute greatly to the negative image of the province in Australia (Martha et al, 2011).
This is a very challenging problem for Tourism Promotion Authorities as they are trying their
very best to market the tourism products available in the country to potential tourist around
the world. Therefore, in PNG, tourism negative media publicity is the main factor that
tarnished the image of the provinces and country as a whole for potential international tourist
(Bhanugopan, 2001).

2.4.1.3. High Cost of Goods and Services

The high cost of goods and services is another major problem that affects the in-flow of
tourist to the province. East New Britain province is only accessible by sea and air from the
rest of the country, but air transport is the most safe, fast and suitable mode of transport.
However, there is the long-time effective monopoly by Air Niugini airlines which resulted in
high airfares traveling to the province (Batten et al, 2009). This problem results in low
number of tourists traveling to the province every year as nothing has been done to address
this problem.

2.4.1.4. Lack of Sufficient Infrastructures

Infrastructure is an umbrella term used to describe the many basic structure and facilities
necessary for a province or country to function efficiently (Lawerence, 2017). Infrastructure
includes public utilities such as buildings, transports, telecommunication networks, water
supply, ports and roads, etc. In order for the tourism industry to prosper in East New Britain
province it requires better infrastructures such as better roads, wharfs, hotels, public utilities,
communication networks, etc. However, in East New Britain, there is not much of better
infrastructures such as roads and often tourist encounter bumpy rides, telecommunication
networks do not cover some areas and many more. The greatest challenge of the government
of Papua New Guinea is improving the infrastructure (lbal, 2009). Therefore, this problem
had been on-going and is affecting the tourism industry of East New Britain province.

2.4.1.5. Political Instability

The tourism industry relies heavily on the provincial government and the national
government to provide basic infrastructure and most importantly, security for visitors and
travelers (Connell, 2005). For PNG like East New Britain, the political instability has been a
feature since independence in 1975 (ibid). Political Stability refers to the unchanging terms
of governments and a stable government means an unchanging set of policies with good
provision of services to the people such as better infrastructure. Hence, a conducive political
stability is the key to tourism developments in the country (ibid).

2.4.2. Benefits of Tourism Development

Tourism operators had welcomed the government plan to develop Kokopo and Rabaul in East
New Britain Province as one of the country’s tourism hub. By improving the infrastructure
and promoting local people’s participation the plan would work really well.

In fact, East New Britain is one of the very historical places with a lot of fascinating and
amazing sites to view, learn, explore and enjoy. The place itself has some history and
significance with different countries through the world wars and colonization, says, Donna
Lucker, Kokopo beach Bungalow resort. The locals from Rabaul receives a lot of Australians,
whose parents had been working there when PNG was under the administration of the
Australian government. Therefore, East New Britain province attracts a lot of tourist mostly
from Australia and Japan just because of their history during the world wars.

Tourism Industry offers a lot of great opportunities for locals in early days till now. It creates
job opportunities, strengthens the local economy, contributes to the infrastructure
developments and most importantly helps converts natural resources, cultural asserts into
tourism products. It creates a market for local people to sell traditional artifacts and
souvenirs. The local people are the number one benefactors of the opportunities that the
tourism industry brings to the province.

Conclusion

To conclude, East New Britain is a stunning destination that offers a unique combination of
natural beauty, cultural significance and historical importance. Its stunning scenery, active
volcanoes an colorful marine life makes it a perfect destination for nature lovers and
adventure seekers. Its rich cultural heritage and World War Ⅱ history makes it an ideal place
for history buffs and those who interested in learning about local cultures. Overall, East New
Britain is a must visit destination for tourists, visitors or anyone looking for an unforgettable
experience.

Recommendation

Here are some recommendations that PNG government should consider to encourage tourists
going to East New Britain Province:

Increase police presence in areas most visited by tourist; the PNG government should
increase police presence in areas that are most visited by tourist to ensure that the tourists are
safe and secure. This should require deployment of more police officers or establishing a
tourist police unit with the responsibility of providing assistance and security to the tourists.

Improve public safety infrastructure; The government should invest in public safety
infrastructure such as CCTV cameras, street lighting and emergency response systems. This
could help to deter criminal activities and provide a quick response in case of any incidents.

Strengthen law and regulations related to tourism; The government should strengthen laws
and regulations related to tourism to ensure that tourists are protected. This could include
strict penalties for crimes against tourists and regulations to prevent harassment and
exploitation of tourists.

Develop and promote community-based tourism so that this can help to promote a sense of
ownership and responsibility for the safety and well being of tourists to ensure that tourist
have a positive experience in PNG.

The government should provide training for tourism industry workers including their guides,
hotel staffs and transportation providers to ensure that tourists are treated with respect and
provided with accurate information.

Reducing Airline fares; The government should encourage airlines to offer competitive ticket
prices, provide discounts and promotions, increase flight frequency, provide comfortable
seats and quality services and collaborate with local tourism stakeholders to provide a
convenient and cost-effective option for tourists and encourage them to visit East New
Britain.