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With the initiation of the historic road journey along the connected Trans-National Highway by Prime Minister James Marape on 6th September 2026, Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, and Lae have entered into a new phase of overland connectivity. This connection between the capital and Lae runs via certain sections of the Central, Gulf and Morobe provinces of Papua New Guinea. In the context of tourism, the importance of this new link is in the form of accessibility. Papua New Guinea has been providing tourists with amazing landscapes, mountain communities, rainforests, rivers, and coastal regions, but the country is difficult to travel through by road. This means that the new link will allow people to visit the country through another mode other than the traditional domestic flights. The journey is not yet comparable to the journey that a tourist can make via a tourist road.
A Road Through Remote Landscapes
The inaugural convoy travelled from Port Moresby towards Lae through the newly connected section before continuing into the Highlands.
The route passes through communities and landscapes that have historically had limited road access. The missing section connecting Kerema in Gulf Province with Menyamya in Morobe Province was a major part of the Connect PNG programme.
The government has reported that approximately 182 kilometres of road were constructed between the Oiwa junction in Menyamya and Epo junction in Kerema as part of the connection.
For visitors, this creates the foundation for a different type of Papua New Guinea journey. Instead of viewing remote areas from an aircraft before landing at an isolated airstrip, future travellers could increasingly encounter the landscape gradually, travelling through villages, forested valleys and mountain terrain.
From Port Moresby Towards Lae
Port Moresby remains Papua New Guinea’s principal international gateway and the starting point for many overseas visitors.
Lae, on the other side of the country, is Papua New Guinea’s major industrial and port centre and an important gateway towards the Highlands.
The new road connection between the two cities adds an overland option to the country’s transport network, although the route’s current condition means travellers should not treat it as a conventional self-drive tourism corridor.
Organised expeditions with experienced local drivers and operators are likely to be more appropriate for visitors interested in exploring the route while the road continues to develop.
Cultural Tourism Gets A New Route
Papua New Guinea’s cultural tourism appeal is closely linked to its extraordinary linguistic and ethnic diversity.
Travelling overland can offer visitors a closer connection with rural communities, traditional agriculture and local landscapes. The road passes through areas where everyday life remains strongly connected to land, farming and village communities.
That creates opportunities for future itineraries built around community visits, cultural experiences, local food and traditional knowledge.
Such journeys will require careful planning and strong engagement with communities. Visitors should use local guides, seek permission before photographing people or entering culturally significant places, and respect local customs.
Morobe Opens Towards Adventure Travel
Morobe Province is particularly important to the new corridor because Lae provides access towards the province’s wider network of destinations.
The region combines coastal environments with mountains, forests and communities spread across challenging terrain. Lae itself can serve as a practical base for travellers continuing towards other parts of Morobe and the Highlands.
The road connection also passes close to areas associated with trekking, rural landscapes and historical sites, creating potential for tourism products that combine road travel with walking, cultural encounters and nature-based activities.
The Highlands Connection
The journey did not stop at Lae. Prime Minister Marape’s September road trip continued into the Highlands, including Eastern Highlands, Chimbu, Jiwaka and Western Highlands.
This matters because the Trans-National Highway connects with the Highlands Highway, creating a broader overland network.
For tourism, that could eventually support multi-province journeys linking coastal, lowland and highland environments within one itinerary.
Travellers could potentially begin in Port Moresby, cross Gulf and Morobe, reach Lae and continue towards destinations such as Goroka and Mount Hagen.
However, the road network remains under development, so journey times, road conditions and local accessibility can vary significantly.
A New Possibility For Eco-Tourism
Papua New Guinea’s strongest tourism assets are often found away from major cities.
Rainforests, rivers, mountains, reefs and traditional communities provide the basis for nature and adventure travel. Improved road connectivity can make some of these environments easier to incorporate into organised tourism itineraries.
The challenge will be managing visitor growth carefully. Remote communities and fragile ecosystems require tourism infrastructure that develops alongside access rather than after large visitor numbers arrive.
For experienced travellers, the appeal is clear: the road itself can become part of the journey.
What Travellers Should Know
It is important not to understand the September 2026 opening of the road as an indication of an instant emergence of a ready-made tourist road. The road is a very important step for connectivity, but the officials have stressed that more improvements are required. For those who intend to visit Papua New Guinea in the future, it would be necessary to continue using trusted providers and be prepared for some changes in road conditions. But in the course of development of the corridor, it can revolutionise the visits of foreigners to Papua New Guinea.
