Bovotel expansion set to transform Arawa’s skyline and tourism

Arawa Town is buzzing with excitement as the Jomik Group of Companies advances a major expansion of its Bovotel Hotel, a project poised to reshape the town’s skyline and strengthen Central Bougainville’s business landscape.

The new four-story building, currently taking shape, will feature three floors of 30 spacious luxury rooms and a top floor dedicated to meetings, conferences, and indoor events. Once complete, it will be the first high-rise structure of its kind in Arawa and across the Autonomous Region since the Bougainville Crisis.

Current Bovotel operations have been scaled down to accommodate construction of the pre-fabricated building, which is now completing its structural foundations.

Stanis Huuma, General Manager of the Jomik Group, told NBC News that the project remains on track for completion next year, despite logistical challenges in shipping materials and transporting heavy machinery such as cranes to lift massive steel beams.

“The expansion will create new jobs, boost tourism, and provide additional training opportunities in the hotel and hospitality sector,” Huuma said.

As Bougainville’s largest private employer and one of the region’s top tax contributors, the Jomik Group hopes the expanded Bovotel will stand as a symbol of business confidence and the region’s growing tourism potential when it opens next year.