Economically the province is dependent upon tourism, oil palm, and gold mining on Misima Island; in addition to these larger industries there are many small-scale village projects in cocoa and copra cultivation.

Culturally the Milne Bay region is sometimes referred to as the Massim, a term originating from the name of Misima Island.

[2] Massim societies are usually characterized by matrilineal descent, elaborate mortuary sequences and complex systems of ritual exchange including the Kula ring.

[citation needed] The Milne Bay Province became a major base in World War II.

The Australian Armed Forces operated HMAS Ladava base that won the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942.

[3][4][5] The coral reef systems of Milne Bay are some of the most biodiverse in the world, and as such attract equal attention from dive operators and conservation groups.

[citation needed] The waters from the Amphlett group to the Trobriand Islands are poorly charted, and, as a result, are rarely visited by tourists or yachts passing through.

On the other hand, the Louissiade Archipelago is a stopover for yachts travelling around the world and ones visiting from Australia.

As of 1904, people were occasionally maintaining the creatures representing their clans as pets, which may have been introduced by Europeans.

Miriam Kahn's Always Hungry Never Greedy: food and the expression of gender in a Melanesian society is set in a village in Milne Bay.