Air Niugini’s inflight magazine, Paradise, has won the award for the best inflight magazine in Oceania in this year’s prestigious World Travel Awards.

In winning, Paradise beat magazines from many of the region’s major airlines, including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Tiger Air and Fiji Airways.

The World Travel Awards, established in 1993, celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. They are recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

It is the first time Papua New Guinea’s national airline has won a World Travel Award.

‘In a tough year for air travel, this is some welcome good news, and a wonderful endorsement of PNG,’ said Air Niugini’s Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Alabaster. ‘My congratulations to the magazine’s publisher and to all the Air Niugini staff involved in getting the magazine into the hands of our customers.’

‘Paradise is more than just an inflight magazine; it is the most read magazine, a window into the country, its people and culture.’

First published in 1976, Paradise is PNG’s longest-surviving magazine. Since 2014, it has been produced for Air Niugini by publisher Business Advantage International.

‘We’re naturally thrilled to receive this award, which is a tremendous endorsement of the hard work done by our editorial team, our contributors, advertisers and partners and, of course, Air Niugini itself,’ said Publishing Director at Business Advantage International, Andrew Wilkins.

‘It’s great to be able to put PNG on the world travel map in this way.’

Publication of Paradise is currently suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, but Alabaster expressed his hope that it would return as soon as conditions allowed.

‘Paradise is more than just an inflight magazine; it is the most read magazine, a window into the country, its people and culture,’ he said.