Sister cities forge strong links
The sister city relationship between Port Moresby and Townsville is one to watch. Since its establishment in 1983, the relationship between the cities has developed positively with about PGK126 million ($AUD500 million) in two-way trade flowing between the ports.
The cities have a strong business relationship and the proximity of the two centres (Townsville is closer to Port Moresby than it is to Brisbane) offers ease and efficiency in trading.
Opportunities for development between Townsville and Port Moresby are plentiful. Air Niugini started direct flights between the cities earlier this year, allowing passengers to transit in less than two hours. Connections out of Papua New Guinea can link travellers to a diverse range of Asian hubs, offering simplicity in international corporate travel and tourism throughout the continent.
Two Townsville-based businesses that have built successful relationships in PNG are Pacific Islands International and Premise.
Sister cities forge strong links
Ashley Finn, managing director of export management company Pacific Islands International, couldn’t be happier with the growing relationship between the cities. “The recent Air Niugini direct flights between Townsville and Port Moresby have been fantastic for my business. It enables us to commute between our head office in Townsville and our biggest market Port Moresby quickly and efficiently. I see this connection as a very important step in the growth of both regions by opening up opportunities for many industries outside of my business including tourism, education, health and logistics.’’
Patrick Brady, executive director of engineering and project management organisation Premise, sees huge potential for his business in PNG. “With offices that include Townsville and Port Moresby the direct air link with Air Niugini allows our team to travel to our Papua New Guinea office in the same time it takes us to get to our Brisbane office. This creates greater opportunities to build future relationships and expand our business activities in PNG.”
Townsville is the newest route into Australia for Air Niugini, with the airline already flying to Cairns, Brisbane and Sydney.
Air Niugini started direct flights between the cities earlier this year, allowing passengers to transit in less than two hours.