Minj To Host Annual Cultural Show

The sleepy historic township of Minj in Western Highlands will come alive in December with the staging of a Minj Cultural Show.

The show has been earmarked for the end of the calendar year to target the high yield Japanese market. Other tourist markets including US/North America, Europe and Germany will also be targeted.

The local singsing group of Minj

The festival is expected to be bigger than the annual Mt Hagen Clutural Show held in August every year. Cultural participants will also be invited from the other Highlands Provinces, Momase and New Guinea Islands.

“But the main content of the show will be singsing groups and other cultural exhibitors from the Jiwaka area of Western Highlands. It’s their show and their participation will dominate the 3-day event,” said show promoter and general manager of Minj Hotel, Steven Mago.

Kundiawa hotel grounds

A meeting will be held this Tuesday, March 23 to finalise an organizing committee for the event, fund-raising efforts and groundwork preparations.

According to Mr. Mago, Minj has a very long and proud history of hosting tourists going back to the colonial days and when Tribal Tops – Minj Hotel was the premier tourist hotel in the whole of the Highlands Region.

“The Minj Cultural Show wll not only be a celebration of the rich, diverse and colorful cultures and traditions of Minj and the whole of Jiwaka. Minj has been a neglected town for a long while now; there are no major business activities here because most of the coffee and tea estates are located in the Kunjip/Banz area. We need to create an opportunity for people to come back to Minj and for business to come back to Minj so that the local economy can be revitalized,” said Mr. Mago.

Mr. Mago said the show will give Minj people a reason, especially the youth from the area, to develop pride in themselves, their culture and heritage and to do something to benefit themselves, their families and communities.

The Minj Hotel and its sister facility, Kundiawa Hotel, will spearhead the organization of the show. The two hotels recently won the Encouragement Awarded at the recent Lukim PNG Nau Tourism Expo at the Holiday Inn, Port Moresby for having the second best tourism booth display.

Steven Mago of the Minj Hotel is the show’s promoter and marketing advisor. He was formerly the Product Development Manager with the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority.

Mr. Mago is dealing direct with TPA and Air Niugini overseas offices in Tokyo, Los Angeles and Frankfurt to sell the show and has already been in direct contact with local tour operators, inbound tour operators, overseas tour wholesalers and travel agents with information on the show.

He said the Minj Hotel and the upcoming Minj Cultural Show would become a unique tourist attraction because it will be tied in with the nearby Whagi Valley Golf Club and other culture, adventure and nature activities like bird watching and trekking.

Special tour packages will be developed to combine the cultural festival, accommodation, meals, transfers and golfing tours.
Tribal Tops – Minj Hotel has its own 9-Hole Golf Course, which is situated opposite the hotel, and five (5) minutes walk away.
The closest accommodation options include Tribal Tops – Minj Hotel (12 rooms) and Kimil Paradise Lodge, Banz (12-rooms).


Ends

Nice pictures and thanks for a bit of promotion of the show on www.pngbd.com. of the place that I come from.
waghi4fr