Andrew Abel inducted as CBE by Her Royal Highness for surfing tourism in PNG

A very proud day for a very proud and patriotic Papua New Guinean, Andrew Abel CMG CSM ML on being inducted as a Commander of the British Empire at Windsor Castle by Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne.

The award is in recognition of Andy’s services in the development of a sustainable surfing and surf tourism in Papua New Guinea over the past 35 years.

He is also a pioneer of the Pink Nose Revolution to provide access for women to surfing as a means of combating Gender Based Violence in PNG.

Andy is a great servant of PNG. He is a Director of the National Airports Corporation, a former Trustee of the National Museum and Art Gallery, and a former Deputy Chairman of the Tourism Promotion Authority.

He is the son of one of PNG Founding Fathers, Sir Cecil Abel KBE, OBE. Sir Cecil was an Oxford Scholar who worked with and mentored PNGs late Grand Chief and former Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare in the lead-up to independence 50 years ago.

Sir Cecil also served with the Australians during the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942 where his knowledge of the local waterways helped save the lives of many of our diggers.

Andy is proud of his father’s wartime legacy and has volunteered his services to develop a strategy for pilgrimage tourism across the Kokoda Trail using the same principles he used to successfully develop surf tourism throughout PNG.

His model is based on customary landowners being recognized as shareholders in the industry.

Unfortunately, his efforts have been thwarted by vested interests in the DFAT Kokoda Initiative and their surrogate Kokoda Track Authority thus far.