With Samoa now reopened to international travellers, Qantas has announced additional weekday and weekend services to the island nation during its northern winter flight schedule from November 2022 to March 2023.
Samoa reopened to international travellers on 1 August 2022 after 865 days of closed borders, in welcome news for family and holidaymakers across the Pacific region.
In the lead-up, the limited number of flights heading to Apia’s international airports were running close to capacity for weeks to come.
The increase in direct weekly flights between Australia’s eastern seaboard and Samoa’s gateway Faleolo International Airport will provide a welcome boost towards collective efforts to rebuild and recover not just the Australian market, but also Samoa’s wider visitor economy.
The Pacific nation has around 200,000 residents but a huge diaspora overseas.
New Zealand is the biggest tourist market for Samoa, however, estimates suggest there are as many Samoans living in both the US and New Zealand as Samoa itself, with another 100,000 in Australia.
Samoa Tourism launched a new advertising campaign fronted by NRL star-turned-social media sensation Johnny Tuivasa-Sheck, with the slogan “Beautiful is Back”.
Before the pandemic, tourism increased to contribute roughly a quarter of Samoa’s GDP.
To find out more, head to samoa.travel
