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Samoa - the next 'hot spot' in the South Pacific?

'To be honest I don't know much about it', 'It's somewhere in the South Pacific', 'Is it similar to the other islands in the region?'

‘To be honest I don’t know much about it’, ‘It’s somewhere in the South Pacific’, ‘Is it similar to the other islands in the region?’

 

If you had asked an Aussie agent two weeks ago what they knew about Samoa, you’d probably have received responses similar to the above.

But after last week’s Samoa Tourism Roadshows not only has knowledge about the destination become a little more widespread, the overall perception of the destination has changed to ‘I need to visit’.

Samoa 2

Speaking to KarryOn at the roadshow in Sydney, Dwayne Bentley, Samoa Tourism Authority’s Manager Marketing & Promotions said over the last few years tourism to the destination has picked up speed, with double digit growth every year.

Last year, the destination even broke a record, exceeding the big 30,000 mark in Australian visitors alone.

This upward trajectory is expected to continue this year, particularly with the recent launch of  Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Resort – the first global brand to open in the island nation.

Sheraton Samoa

The opening of Samoa’s first Sheraton has already contributed to tourism.

By the end of this year Samoa will have two Sheraton properties as well as its first five-star resort – Taumeasina Island, which is also scheduled to open later this year.

Dwayne said having a big hotel brand in Samoa is a ‘huge achievement’ and already contributing heavily to tourism.

“It [Sheraton] has the largest loyalty program in the world and Samoa is going to be exposed through that network – that’s huge.”

Dwayne Bentley, Samoa Tourism Authority Manager Marketing & Promotions

Also expected to boost tourism over the coming year is the launch of the new marketing campaign (see video above) as well as the redevelopment of one of Samoa’s largest cruise ports.

The ‘Beautiful Samoa’ video campaign sees 30 second and 60 second videos highlighting the destination’s appeal from its culture, accommodation to entertainment.

The ads are currently airing on major Australian television network.

And when it comes to cruise, which is taking off in other South Pacific destinations, Dwayne did confess to KarryOn that cruising hasn’t been a top priority in the past because it is ‘a bit of a challenge’.

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Sitting a little further away from Australia compared to its South Pacific neighbours, a cruise to Samoa would require a few more days than the average Australian cruise of five-to-seven days.

However, that didn’t stop the government from signing off on an agreement to completely transform the pier by 2017 to cater to larger ships such as Royal Caribbean’s jumbo vessels.

In addition to new developments, Dwayne said what makes Samoa the next ‘hot spot’ of the South Pacific is its unique offerings.

Samoa 4

“As a destination we’re quite different from others out there and we’re building on that.”

Dwayne Bentley, Samoa Tourism Authority Manager Marketing & Promotions

“Other South Pacific destinations have paved the way for us in the Australian market,” he said.

“The Australian market is huge, from Sydney there are five million people alone and there’s more than enough to go around.”

Samoa is one of the biggest islands in Polynesia. It is made up of two main islands – Upolu and Savai’i.

Have you had a chance to visit ‘Beautiful Samoa’?