Samoa wants Dwayne The Rock Johnson to 'come home' in video appeal

Samoa Tourism is looking for a rock to steady them through a difficult period of travel restrictions, and has called on the Islands' most famous son, Dwayne Johnson to come visit.

Releasing a 60-second video the Tourism Authority has put the case to The Rock why his mother's island homeland should be the first place he visits once borders reopen.

In anticipation of a safe travel bubble - the video features rainforest and swimming holes of Togitogiga Waterfall and white sands of Vavau Beach on Upolu.

Most importantly, there are generous helpings of Johnson's favourite tipple - Samoan inspired tequila – in an attempt to lure him to the islands.

"It's been a challenging year for our small island nation, as it has been for all destinations that rely on international tourism," said STA CEO Fa'amatuainu Lenatai Suifua.

"But we remain committed to ensuring the safety of our people as we eagerly await the moment we reopen to international travellers and have the opportunity to welcome Dwayne home."

While Samoa looks forward to welcoming all travellers, this video is a special appeal to the American-born actor.

The clip has been shared on Social Media over 120,000 times. It has been sent to the official accounts of Dwayne, his stuntman cousin Tanoai Reed and even his mum – Ata Johnson, daughter of Samoan-born wrestling promoter Ofelia "Lia" Maivia

"We wanted to capture the attention of Seiuli [Dwayne Johnson] in a fun and creative way, while also promoting The Rock's home country to his millions of followers around the world," said Fa'amatuainu Lenatai Suifua. "We hope he manages to watch the video over the coming days and enjoys what we've created for him."

In 2020, the actor topped the Forbes list as the world's best paid actor for a second year in a row. As the world's biggest film star, STA saw him as an obvious champion for promoting the country.