PRESS RELEASE: SAMOA HOSTS INDUSTRY MEET TO SHOWCASE TOURISM OFFERING

Samoa Tourism Authority (STA) has hosted a series of industry sessions to help enhance Samoa's tourism products and services. Hosted in Apia and Savai'i over two days, the Industry Talanoa Meet's were initiated by STA and gathered local tourism industry members to collaborate on issues covering tourism product offerings, marketing and promotion, research and statistics, and policies for industry development.

Honourable Minister Toeolesulusulu Cedric Salesa Schuster shared his inspiring remarks during the meeting, emphasising the need for tourism industry operators and STA to work together to increase the number of visitors to Samoa following the global COVID-19 pandemic*.

"It is Samoa Tourism Authority's goal to better promote and entice potential visitors to choose Samoa over other Pacific Island countries as a place to visit, relax and recuperate from the rigours of life," Cedric Salesa Schuster said.

"Samoa is the destination for travellers wanting to learn about a different culture and way of life, enjoy the beauty of nature in its pristine and unspoilt way, celebrate special occasions and events, and to reconnect with their aiga (family)."

The industry sessions cover:

• Tourism Product - features of Samoa as an attractive tourism destination
• Tourism Marketing & Promotion - How we want visitors to imagine Samoa
• Research & Statistics - Understanding numbers is crucial to good business making decisions
• Policies for Tourism Development - Actions and behaviours needed to fulfil our goals as a sound tourism destination
• Group Presentations - Open discussions on what's next

STA will collate all feedback provided at the sessions on how best to improve Samoa's tourism offering and position Samoa as a preferred travel destination, and present to the industry during its final Industry Talanoa Meet on Tuesday 14th March at Hotel Tanoa Tusitala in Apia.

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Notes to editors

*Although the visitor numbers to the island have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, recent tourism data reveals a steady flow of travellers since Samoa's reopening in August last year. Released recently by STA, the data reveals that the number of visitors for the August through December 2022 period sits around 47,000 people-over half of the amount of pre-pandemic visitors recorded in 2019.

About Samoa Tourism Authority: The Samoa Tourism Authority is the Samoa Government's all-encompassing tourism agency that is responsible for marketing and promoting Samoa as visitor destination in selected source markets, facilitating the planning and development of new and existing tourism products and services, formulating and monitoring standards for the tourism industry, undertaking and maintaining tourism research and statistics, formulating tourism related policies, ensuring a well informed and coordinated sector and ensuring an efficient entity with a strong results-driven corporate culture.

SOURCE: Samoa Tourism Authority

March 9, 2023

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