In an announcement overnight, Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa has confirmed Samoa will welcome international travellers back into the country from 1st August 2022.
In preparation for the reopening, a series of developments and new processes have been put in place to ensure Samoa is travel-ready, and that the health and safety of locals and international travellers is of utmost priority.
Samoa’s robust preparations include its own digital contact tracing app, training and upskilling for local employees, upgraded travel instructions and bolstered testing capabilities.
The government says vaccination rates have remained pivotal in the decision to reopen, with the most recent data showing almost 93% of Samoa’s population, aged 18 years and over, has been fully vaccinated.
Samoa had previously announced it would likely reopen in ‘August or September.’
Samoa Tourism Authority’s acting CEO, Pativaine Petaia-Tevita, said the tourism and hospitality industry is excited to get Samoa back on the radar as a must-visit destination, particularly as worldwide travel restrictions continue to ease and traveller confidence grows.
“As international travel begins to take shape again, Samoa has been striving to ensure critical components of our travel-ready toolkit are in place. All of these efforts ensure we are in a top position to safely open borders to travellers,” she said.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors with open arms later this year, and we encourage travellers to experience Samoa’s untouched beauty, unique cultural experiences, rich heritage and friendly locals for themselves.”
For more, head to www.samoa.travel