A new flight route linking Samoa and Hawaii has been announced by Air Pacific.

The airline announced it will start a weekly service between Apia and Honolulu on September 11 using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with capacity for 160 passengers.

The new flight schedule will also link up with an extra connection between Samoa and Fiji.

Air Pacific’s managing director, John Campbell, says the new flights will benefit business and leisure travellers and provide Samoans with better access to Honolulu and the United States.

News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand

Tourism in Samoa has grown significantly over the last ten years in terms of visitation and visitor spending.  With the recent declines in the agriculture and fisheries sectors, tourism has become a vital part of the economic development of Samoa especially in generating employment and foreign exchange earnings.

However, while tourism has been a part of the Samoan economy for some time, it has been constrained by relative destination immaturity and low visibility of the destination in core and emerging markets.  To succeed, Samoa must comprehensively understand and respond to such challenges.

The Samoa Tourism Authority is firm in its commitment to ensure that tourism will continue to prosper in Samoa. 

To be effective in its efforts to accomplish this goal, STA recently launched its Samoa Tourism Development Plan 2009-2013 to provide direction in what has become in world terms, a highly sophisticated and dynamic environment and an exceptionally and aggressive competitive marketplace.

This Tourism Development Plan seeks to provide the path that will enable best development and growth of supply capacities that are required to best meet and exceed the needs of consumer demand.  It lays the foundation for the coordinated and sustainable development of tourism in Samoa.

As simply stated by the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Hon. Misa Telefoni Retzlaff in the Plan’s Foreword, ‘we need to think and act strategically by directing our activities at those markets, consumers, investment and product development opportunities which can deliver the best results for Samoa.’

The Tourism Development Plan is the third component of the STA Governance and Planning Project and was co-funded by the Public Sector Improvement Facility and the Government of Samoa.

The Official launch took place on Friday 17^th July 2009 at the Ground Floor of the FMFM II Government Building at 5:00pm.

A group of 37 people making up the third ‘Singing in Samoa’ trip to Samoa visited our shores from 09-18^th July 2009.

The trip which is the third of its kind to Samoa is gathering interest from further afield and this year a lady from the United Kingdom and a lady from Europe join the Australians and New Zealanders who make up the singing group.

The group stayed at Faofao Beach Fales at Saleapaga and were networking with the village choirs around that area to boost and share their own musical knowledge with the local musicians and artists.

In appreciation of assistance from the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Tourism, as well as Samoa Tourism Authority, the group made a special singing appearance on Tuesday 14^th July 09 at 5.00pm at the Samoa Tourism Authority Fale to a small invited audience and the media.

The Hon. Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged the enthusiasm of the group to sing ‘Samoan’ songs and hymns, of which he was very pleased.

The special event also included a special performance by local artists with the Taualuga being the finale of the evening.

Australian tourists are picking lesser-known Pacific islands for their tropical winter breaks to avoid the political instability in military-led Fiji, leaders claim.

The leaders of two Pacific nations, Samoa and the Cook Islands, say their tourist numbers are on the rise because many Australians and New Zealanders no longer want to visit Fiji.

They say that the refusal of Frank Bainimarama's regime to take the country to elections since staging a December 2006 coup has been an "active turn-off" for visitors.

Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele says the global economic crisis has hit his country hard, cutting employment rates and remittance earnings - but tourism appears to be booming.

He believes Fiji's situation has brought "enormous" tourism benefits in both the Australian and New Zealand markets.

"We have noticed a huge improvement in people choosing to come here instead of going to Fiji, with everything going on there," Tuilaepa said.

"Who can blame them.

"Quite obviously we are a much better option."

source:www.smh.com.au

image caption: sunset in Samoa

Aggie Grey's Lagoon, Beach Resort and Spa, which was recently voted in the South Pacific's Top 10 Family Resorts, has confirmed it will re-open on 2nd October.  
 
For re-opening specials, contact the resort or your travel agent.

Cabinet has approved the attendance by Chief Executive Officer for Samoa Tourism Authority and Vaimasenuu Zita Martel of the Air New Zealand meeting on the 7th July 2009, in Auckland New Zealand.

This meeting will discuss and review reports of the Airline for the month of April and May 2009 and forward bookings for the upcoming months.
The representatives from the Kingdom of Tonga will also attend this meeting.

Source: Government Press Secretariat

This was confirmed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Auseugaefa Va’asatia Poloma Komiti.
Later, Mr Key will meet Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi.

From there, he will go to Poutasi, Falealili to meet Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale regarding progress of the RSE programme.

Auseugaefa said Mr Key’s visit to Tuatagaloa is because of his efforts and contribution in improving the RSE. Mr Key will be in Samoa for just one day.
He is visiting four Pacific countries in four days, accompanied by Samoan sporting legends, La’auli Michael Jones and Vaaiga Tu’igamala.

(Source: Samoa Observer Friday, 3rd July 2009)

The Prime Minister of Samoa says yesterday’s re-opening of Fagali’i airport is a boost for smaller airlines flying to Savaii and to American Samoa.

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi says it’s cost about 300,000 US dollars to renovate the facility, with most of the money spent on the terminal and re-sealing the runway.

Fagali’i was closed four years ago for safety reasons and because the Airport Authority decided it would save costs by having just one airport on Upolu, Faleolo International.

Tuilaepa says the re-opening is a profitable move for Samoa’s national airline.

“It will be a very profitable move for Polynesian Airlines and I’m talking about the small airlines which service American Samoa and Samoa. That will be good for our travelling public and also for our business people. It is much more convenient.”

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Samoa’s Prime Minister.

The first flight to Pago Pago left this morning and Fagali'i's first domestic flight takes off next week.

Source: www.rnzi.com                                

Image : http://images.google.ws  

SAMOA’s beachfront getaway, Aggie Grey’s Lagoon, Beach Resort and Spa has been voted one of the South Pacific’s Top Ten family resorts, the second successive year for the 144-room property that opened just four years ago.

Australian family-travel specialists, Holidays with Kids invited their 38,000 on-line members and 600,000 regular readers of their family holidays magazine to nominate the best family resorts in the South Pacific, and Aggie Grey’s Lagoon, Beach Resort and Spa got a hearty thumbs-up for its policy of having children under 12-years stay, play and eat for free, and for its fun and educational facilities for children.

Voters applauded the resort’s Dolphins Kids Club that is open daily from early morning to late at night, and which provides healthy supervised activities, and involves children in learning about and understanding the culture and lifestyle of the Samoan people.

The Kids Club also allows parents quality time on their own, or on the18-hole golf course, at the waters sports centre that has every conceivable “water toy,” in the Polynesian spa that’s recognised as one of the South Pacific’s best, or to dine or enjoy a drink on their own or with other adults in a choice of casual or more formal Polynesian and International restaurants, cafes and bars.

The resort is set within 90ha of tropical gardens looking out to the picturesque island of Savaii; visit http://www.holidayswithkids.com.au/top_10_resorts , and for information and great prices for family holiday packages at Aggie Grey’s Lagoon, Beach Resort and Spa see travel agents or South Pacific wholesalers.

Source: E-travel blackboard (http://www.etravelblackboard.com/showarticle.asp?id=94153&nav=1)