A Story of Papua New Guinea
Trobriand Islands, Watam, Panapompom, Tufi, Bilbil
By Robin Tauck
This is my story of two journeys to Papua New Guinea in one year … and the careful planning for years prior to responsibly bring outside visitors to incredible, remote cultures, rarely exposed to tourism.
I was honored to be the only American along with journalists from Australia on the first-ever ORION Expedition to Papua New Guinea. I was so incredibly moved by the experience that we carefully prepared two “special” and limited exclusive Tauck expeditions with award-winning Orion, a 106-passenger high-end ship, based in Sydney. Both were significant voyages in my 30-years of sailing and cruising in remote islands.
These New Guinea voyages were purposely crafted differently. Less focus on traditional itinerary planning; far more on responsible tourism and preserving and enhancing cultural integrity. An endeavor accomplished well and a lesson still to unfold for the future.
About Papua New guinea
Papua New Guinea is an island nation, within New Guinea and is comprised of the rugged interior highlands and over 600 islands in the Bismarck, Solomon and Coral Seas. Located northeast of Cape York in Australia, few international airports of any size exist for larger aircraft, except Port Moresby and expanded in 2006, the new Rabaul Airport on New Hebrides Island, a tropical port town wiped out by volcanic ash in 1994.
Isolated from most of the world with challenging landscapes, it has remained relatively untouched, with incredible biodiversity of flora and fauna, volcanic activity and rich soils, one of the world’s finest diving and underwater kaleidoscopes … and 700 native cultures, each with their own distinct language…absolutely extraordinary in the world.
I am an admitted armchair anthropologist; a Margaret Mead or Bronislaw Malinowski wannabe. A dreamer in the pages of Smithsonian Magazine, which featured PNG twice in the past year. Traveling to over 22 trips annually, I still yearn to explore “off the beaten track” to meet authentic cultures existing in perfect harmony with nature and their environment. Do they still exist today?
Eighty well-travelled guests aboard Orion from 15 states and five countries, journeyed across the globe to meet native islanders from Biining, Watam, Kopar, Bilbil, Tufi, Kitava and Panapompom, clans and villagers that rarely connect with outsiders. Communication in some places was still by drumbeat and certainly no roads exist. These are positive, spirited peoples with shy smiles, welcoming hands, incredible dress (or non-dress), sing-sings, rituals and customs; living off the land and the sea, as they have for centuries. It is undoubtedly the “authentic” trip of a lifetime.
My purpose was to examine our role and responsibility as stewards of tourism and “doing the right thing” in today’s efforts of non-exploitation. How do we monitor and measure our ability to enhance and preserve the social traditions while adding to economic development and socio-improvements for all? The very special attributes that attract visitors must not be destroyed, yet how can this best evolve, given the impact to so many cultural treasures over time. This can improve over time and will accelerate from strict adherence to world tourism efforts, education and/or grassroots efforts.
The very special island nation of Papua New Guinea, its government and travel and tourism companies have the opportunity to be models of sustainability, in much the way Costa Rica and other fragile ecosystems have. It is my opinion New Guinea deserves a ten-fold effort in sustainability by entities of government with the travel, tourism and yachting or cruise industries, the likes of which we have not seen. Yet growth in economic development and the well-being of its residents is also a priority. Tourism provides a way out of subsistence; an exciting new opportunity for this island nation.
Leaders paving the way to sustainability
Orion Expeditions whose motto is “the path less traveled” deserves recognition and respect for their three years of planning and restrictions on shore excursions, advance and post cultural monitoring and care for the “sense of place.” Zegrams Expeditions, Tauck and Lindblad are also fine companies with such a philosophy.
The story of Orion and our Papua New Guinea is also the story of Justin Friend, a true friend with a surname to match. A cultural guide and Australian citizen, Justin was so enamored with the country that he lived many years amongst several tribes, one of which adopted him into the clan, as he courted then married the daughter of the chief.
Justin is not only a citizen, but an Australian specialist in Papua New Guinea. He spent three years on behalf of his company, cruising hundreds of miles of coastline in leaky dugouts and primitive skiffs and gently introduced himself to over 60 PNG villages, with whom he has exchanged betel nuts, pigs and tools to slowly engage with the clan chiefs and be invited into the traditional “Mens Houses” for exchange and acceptance.
This was not an easy feat, however the natives are proud, traditional peoples with a genuine desire of acceptance. Having not had attention of government or outside aid; Justin explained how remarkable and uplifting for them to see the interest by our U.S. visitors…. to listen and share stories. Imagine that…little attention over centuries, and now peaceful integration and exchange by people who are 10,000 miles away in distance and lightyears away in civilization.
Tauck and Orion took time at each village, to limit landings and visitors and to explain how to mitigate impact. To respect diversity of ways. To celebrate unique sing-sings and partake in traditional chores of each age group…from children to elders…and appreciate the strenuous rigors they undertake to achieve what we take for granted.
We agree to preserve the Trobriand and Solomon “kupa ring” primitive exchange where magnificent mwalis and bagis are traded among remote islands, and to uphold the tradition to disallow tourists to buy these sacred pieces.
Beautiful moments included “tourism sessions on the sand”, where 50 youth listened and learned from Justin Friend and Robin Tauck, how important to keep their ancient traditions intact. It worked! We could see dances and clan art, that had been forgotten over years, re-borne and taught by elders, because the new visitors appreciated their cultural traditions… far more than new tactics of selling carvings, shells and baskets.
Children proudly worked on their dugouts, exhibited new sailing techniques, school-writing and showed how different their artwork and traditions were from nearby islands.
Less focus on tradition cruising … far more in cultural exchange, responsible tourism, engaging storytelling, and authenticity. Strangers became one. Friendships were made; simple gatherings of friendly people, whose similarities far outweigh their differences. The revelation in the minds of the travelers was extraordinary to observe.
Protecting cultural Impact and enhancing sustainability
Professionals in tourism experience this on a global basis, but must now convene in earnest, proactive efforts to protect and preserve, as international tourism numbers are increasing at an alarming rate. Doubled from 1990-2005, international tourism is expected to reach 7 billion people (up from 1 billion) in little more than a decade.
Among other efforts, what is needed are public/private partnerships via governments and tourism leaders, limited visitation and coordination by travel companies, scaled back visitation and examples of profit /market shortfalls accepted to provide ecological balance, individual examples of leadership and “walking the talk” by each visitor, guide, and tourism group. Measurement and accreditation programs in sustainable tourism, which we all must engage in and abide by. Learning and implementing new ways.
My hope for the future is that I and the other 80 visitors return one day to Papua New Guinea with our children and grandchildren and be proud of our stewardship. To see positive, limited and monitored impact and know that we contributed.
Please support companies and destinations that care. Enquire about supplier practices and policies towards cultural impact and sustainable tourism. Pay the price to protect. Become knowledgeable and voice your opinion on new infrastructure that may threaten places that we seek to protect. The leaders, marketing and operations departments and ministers of tourism should easily be able to answer your questions and appeal to your savvy customers who want and deserve to know. Support efforts to balance our impact.
Wishing all generations continued enriching and authentic cultural experiences and a heart for responsible tourism to which each of us can contribute in unique ways.