PNG Tourism Authority director marketing research and statistics Alice Kuaningi announced Australia was the strongest tourism market for Papua New Guinea, based on the 2018 International Visitors Survey statistics by the International Finance Corporation, PNG Tourism Authority and New Zealand Tourism Research Institute (South Pacific Tourism Organisation, 27-May-2019). Key details include:
- Approximately 27% of Australian visitation has a household income of more than USD100,000;
- Australian visitation is driven by WWII tours, festival events, ecotourism as well as adventure and historical tourism;
- Highest areas of tourism include Port Moresby, Central, Morobe and Northern provinces;
- Milne Bay experienced a 25% year-on-year increase, followed by East New Britain with 17%;
- Holiday visitation rose from 26% to 33%, with a holiday spend 15% greater than that of business travellers and 95% high than spending on family and friend visitation.