GTI Tourism has welcomed Stuart Thompson to its team of tourism marketing and PR professionals, as the representative for the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA) in Australia and New Zealand.

Stuart joins the PNGTPA team at an exciting time as they move into 2013 with a new-look marketing strategy.

Stuart brings with him strong tourism experience and innovative marketing ideas from his previous role with Tourism NT, as well as an enthusiasm for the destination which originally sprung from a significant family connection with the destination.

“I have some close family ties with PNG, my grandfather was stationed in the North Sepik as a captain in WWII and my father did aid work as a doctor over there in the 1980s. This really sparked my interest in PNG,” Stuart said.

“PNG is an amazing destination with some of the best and most authentic natural and cultural experiences you can experience anywhere in the world. I’m looking forward to working with the team at GTI Tourism to raise awareness about how incredible this destination really is.”

Stuart officially started his role with GTI Tourism this week, but had his first visit to Tufi, in the Oro Province of PNG, in November, giving him valuable, first-hand experience of the destination.