Samoa tourism

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.

The loss in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was heavily impacted by a complete loss of income to the country's tourism sector.

The latest economic update from the Central Bank of Samoa shows Samoa's annual GDP dropped to $US753 million in the year.

After January 2020, covid restrictions meant income from tourism plummeted to zero.

70 percent of jobs in the sector are estimated to be lost.

Samoa's finances have been cushioned by international aid funds of more than $US130 million.

The initiative has been made possible with kind assistance from the Government of New Zealand through the Samoa Tourism Growth Partnership, which is a five-year investment that includes broader support of product development, tourism training and destination marketing.

Samoa Tourism CEO, Faamatuainu Lenatai’i Suifua said they have listed all projects that needs to be renovated.

“These are some of many valuable tourism projects we continue to implement for our members, which in turn increase economic value for our country.”

The EPIC tool is an online app that replaces the Excel too and it identifies the gaps in Sector Plans which can be improved such as aligning issues and actions with indicators to ensure they are measurable.

Chief Executive Officer, Faamatuainu Lenata’i Suifua said, “We are in the process of finalising the Samoa Tourism Sector Plan for the next five years, and this is a timely opportunity to apply the EPIC Tool with support from UN-ESCAP.”

“We are very excited to announce today that Patrick Tuipulotu is joining the Samoa Tourism family as a brand ambassador”.

“Patrick is keen to see his culture reflected in rugby including the use of the Samoan language which strengthens his connection to his family and lineage.. We look forward to working with Patrick to help you discover Fa’a Samoa – The Samoan Way. ”

 The government has put the number of people who have lost their jobs since borders were closed due to the pandemic, at 3000.

The Samoa Observer reported the package was outlined in a Cabinet Directive from last week that was endorsed by the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet Chief Executive Agafili Shem Leo.

It said staff made redundant would each receive around $US114; those placed on leave without pay would get $US76; and employees with reduced hours or working part-time would receive around $US38.

The president of the Hotel Association, Tupa'i Sale'imoa Va'ai, said the occupancy rate was currently low - between one and five percent - which was a huge concern to his members.

He said a few lucky hotels had 15 percent occupancy rate but most, including beach fale operators, were considering closing or laying off staff.

"There's a lot of other industries in the country but our concern is this particular impact, impacts directly to the tourism industry.

The country has shaken off the impact of Cyclone Gita in February 2018, which caused extensive landslides and flooding, and its economy could grow by 4.4% in 2019-20.

The International Monetary fund has praised Samoa’s resilience after a period of setbacks, although it has pointed to continuing economic challenges.

In a report taking stock of the Pacific state’s economic conditions, the Washington-based fund said growth was projected to rebound to 3.4% in 2018-19 after falling to a five-year low due to the closure of the Yazaki manufacturing plant.

The Samoa Observer newspaper reported the Minister of Tourism, Sala Fata Pinati, has also urged government to ask all financial institutions to hold off taking legal action against these properties until a solution is worked out.

The minister did not name the properties for which he was seeking financial relief.

Earlier this week the Development Bank of Samoa notified that the Orator Hotel and Moanalisa Hotel were to be sold at auction later this month.

It comes just under a month out from when the airline first became accessible on Expedia, a one-stop travel shop for consumers looking for the best deals in travel experiences. 
“Expedia has traditionally been a significant producer of bookings for Samoa and with Samoa Airways’ availability on the popular online travel agency (OTA), reservations have flowed through”, said Chief Executive Officer, Tupuivao Seiuli Alvin Tuala.