In 1992 Prime Minister Paul Keating opened a $2 million Kokoda Memorial Hospital along with a Backpacker’s Hostel to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Kokoda campaign.
It was also planned to open a new terminal at the Kokoda airfield but the locals burnt it down shortly before his visit. It turned out to be an omen of things to come with a well-intentioned aid policy inadvertently reinforcing a ‘cargo-cult’ mentality.
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‘There is overwhelming evidence that the term ‘Kokoda’ has been effectively hijacked to provide relevance to the engagement of environmentalists, anthropologists, archaeologists and social engineers in areas related to social mapping, village livelihoods, gender equity, ecosystems services options, capacity building, and mentoring beyond the gazetted borders of the Kokoda Trail.
‘But almost nothing has been invested in our shared military heritage across the Trail or the economic empowerment of traditional landowner communities.’
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Covid provided an opportunity for the DFAT-Kokoda Initiative, CEPA and the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) to review the reasons behind the rise and fall of Kokoda tourism under their watch since 2009.
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Update on the revocation of Adventure Kokoda tour Operators License
Read MoreKokoda tourism was suspended for three years during the Covid period – KTA staff were retained on full pay during this period.
This offered them an opportunity to review their management procedures, call for discussion papers from stakeholders in Kokoda tourism and circulating them for comment with a view to drafting a policy document.
Unfortunately the staff seemed to go into a coma and no action was taken in this regard.
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