There is no doubt that Bougainville’s natural tropical beauty and other attractions can be further leveraged to increase visitor numbers in the years ahead.
There is no shortage of stunning local imagery to help promote Bougainville to those searching for unique holiday experiences.
The island’s active volcanoes, Mount Balbi in the north and Mount Bagana in central Bougainville are iconic features while the spectacular Lake Billy Mitchell or Eruovi remains something of a hidden treasure.
In its strategic plan the ABG identifies the continued development of a high-quality boutique tourism industry as one of its economic objectives to help drive business growth and job creation. The government proposes the establishment of a new tourism bureau for the promotion of Bougainville as a desirable visitor destination in the South Pacific.
The bureau would work with private sector providers to package and promote various local activities and attractions that are sure to appeal to would-be visitors.
The ABG notes that inbound travel from Port Moresby and Rabaul is generally reliable and points to the improving standard of visitor accommodation, including lodges and guest houses in Buka and Arawa.
Over the longer the term, there are also plans to improve road access around the island which would bring local attractions within easier reach to visitors.
Further industry expansion would be underpinned by new research into product development and case studies which would support external promotion.
Several key activities have been identified where Bougainville has comparative advantages. These include trekking and hiking, cruising and sailing, kayaking, fishing, surfing, snorkelling and diving and bird watching through to tours of historical sites and cultural experiences such as village homes stays to support visits to festivals and markets.
In recent years, the annual Bougainville Chocolate Festival has been helping to put an international spotlight on the island and is the type of event that visits can be built around.
And for the adventurous, Bougainville offers several world-class trekking options such as the picturesque Numanuma trail which runs inland east to west between Wakunai and Torokina and was the scene of some heavy fighting during WWII.
Other notable historical attractions include the 1943 crash site in Buin district of the Japanese military plane that was carrying Admiral Yamamoto, the mastermind of the infamous attacks on Pearl Harbour.
For divers there is also the upturned wreck of a Japanese bomber in around four metres of water in the Buka passage in addition to the local reefs and abundant marine life. Bougainville’s warm waters and clear visibility are ideal for snorkelling and diving and other water sports.
Bougainville Experience Tours based in Arawa is one current operator that offers a range of tailored visitor experiences throughout Bougainville.
In addition to more formal promotional activities and campaigns driven by government and industry the shared experiences and third-party endorsements of previous visitors in social media and by word of mouth are also important to supporting industry growth.
There is already some impressive online content in forums like You Tube promoting some of Bougainville’s natural attractions and treks and this will grow as visitor numbers increase.