The Rise, Fall and Future of Kokoda Tourism
The cancellation of our Adventure Kokoda tour operators’ licence was found to be unlawful by the Justice Sally Purdon-Sully in the PNG National Court on 14 December 2023,
The hearing lifted the scab off a web of insidious political agendas, the use of aid-for-influence, nepotism, incompetence, corruption and collusion within the DFAT funded Kokoda Initiative network which includes the PNG Conservation Environment Promotion Authority (CEPA), the Kokoda Track Authority (KTA) and the Australian Kokoda Tour Operators Association (KTOA).
It heard of threats of violence against charter aircraft used by Adventure Kokoda from the Governor of Oro Province who is a close associate of the DFAT Strategic Management Advisor in the Kokoda Initiative.
The airline also received threats from the Acting CEO of the KTA for the same reason.
The cancellation was motivated by a desire to shut down our criticism of the dysfunctional management system put in place by Australian environment officials in 2009; their failure to invest in the protection and interpretation of military heritage sites across the Trail; their failure to protect the welfare of guides and porters from exploitation; their failure to stop the proliferation of illegal Australian tour operators; their failure to ensure campsites are adequate to meet the needs of trekkers; their failure to build a single hygienic toilet anywhere along the 138 km Trail; their failure to introduce micro-business opportunities for village communities; etc. etc.
Rather than address these and a myriad of other management failures they decided to attack the messenger by putting us out of business.
They failed to do that as well!
Costs were awarded to Adventure Kokoda.
We will continue to proudly support our vision for the Kokoda Trail to achieve its potential as a world-class pilgrimage tourism destination for the economic benefit of village communities who own the land sacred to our shared military heritage.
