Tourists robbed at gunpoint at PNG resort
A group of tourists were held up at gunpoint in a brazen armed robbery at an upscale dive resort in Papua New Guinea.
An armed gang held 20 tourists hostage at Tawali Resort in southeast PNG before making off with cash and personal items.
"Sixteen armed men with high-powered rifles came by boat and took all the guests as hostages," a former staff member said.
"They took their wallets, phones, all their things, the cash in the till and anything else they could carry and went off in their boats. Luckily no one was harmed."
According to the unnamed employee the resort has been targeted in the past by an armed gang, although it is unclear if it is the same one.
The resort is located in an isolated spot on a peninsular noted for its excellent diving, making it an easy getaway by boat.
The robbery was confirmed recently by PNG tourism minister Emil Tammur who wants to see urgent measures taken by the government to protect tourist safety.
Speaking to local media he said: "These tourists had a great time capturing magical moments on their cameras and having great personal experiences of the beauty of PNG only to be robbed on the last leg of their journey."
"They have now all returned traumatised and with very bad memories of PNG. Is this the type of country we want to promote to the rest of the world?"
The country has been beset by tribal unrest with many countries issuing travel advisories not to travel to conflict hotspots in Hela and the Southern Province.
However, in general tourists are rarely targeted.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025