Update: Tourist Accommodation in Samoa Post-Tsunami
Posted: October 17, 2009 | Author: PacificEyeWitness.com | Filed under: Analysis, Breaking News, Business, Community, Current, Earthquake Tsunami Samoa/AmSampa 09, Environment, Fono Notices, NZPacific, South Pacific Region, Tourism | Tags: aganoa surf retreat savaii, aufaga, available accommodation samoa, beach fales, boomerang creek beach fales, coconut beach resort, faofao beach fales, iliili resort, lalomanu, le vasa resort, Lepa, litia sini beach fales, lupesina beach fales, maninoa surf camp, manono island samoa, manusina beach fales, namu'a beach fales, namu'a island samoa, pacific news, paradise cove samoa, romeo's beach fales, saanapa, salaepaga, salani, salani surf resort, samoa tourism, samoa tourism authority, samoa tsunami, seabreeze resort, sieni beach fales, sinalei reef resort, siutaufogapapa beach fales, South Coast, taufua beach fales, tsunami, valengina's beach fales, vavau beach bungalows, village of maninoa, village of siumu, village of vavau, virgin cove | Leave a commentThis update is in response to emails received. Please read in full for information on all affected tourist properties.
Before the earthquake and tsunami hit the South Coast of Upolu in Samoa on Tuesday 29th September, Samoa offered close to 100 choices of tourist accommodation. From luxury hotels and resorts, to standard and budget hotels, and, of course, the beach fales.
After the tsunami struck, 19 tourist places, including popular resorts and beach fales along the South Coast of Upolu, were left severely damaged or destroyed. They represent about a fifth of Samoa’s available tourist accommodation. The South Coast bore the brunt of the tsunami’s fury with the nearby islands of Manono and Namu’a also facing severe damage. Upolu’s northern coast, where Apia is situated, was left alone by the tsunami. The island of Sava’ii was not unscathed by the sea affecting one tourist operation. Tourist accommodation in those areas continue to operate.
Samoa’s Tourism Authority has issued the following list of hotels, resorts and beach fales that are temporarily closed. pacificEyeWitness.org has included the names of the village in which each property is located, where known:
- Coconuts Beach Club, Resort & Spa
Scheduled to open 1st February 2010
(Village of Siumu)
- Maninoa Surf Camp & Beach Fales
Click here for update
(Village of Maninoa)
- Sinalei Reef Resort
Re-opening 1st November 2009
(Village of Siumu)
- Iliili Resort
(Village of Saleilua, Falealili)
- Salani Surf Resort
(Village of Salani) - Vavau Beach Bungalows
(Village of Vavau)
- Seabreeze Resort, Paradise Cove
(Village of Aufaga)
- Lupesina Beach Resort (formerly Boomerang Creek)
(Village of Salaepaga)
8 out of 12 employees at Lupesina died in the tsunami.
- Faofao Beach Fales
(Village of Salaepaga)
To help Faofao Beach Fales, click here
- Taufua Beach Fales
(Village of Lalomanu)
- Litia Sini Beach Resort
(Village of Lalomanu)
- Namu’a Beach Fales
(Namu’a Island) - Vaotuua Beach Fales
(Manono Island) - Sieni Beach Fales
(Village of Lalomanu)
- Sina PJ Beach Fales
(Village of Tafitoala, Safata)Day Stays only
- Siutaufogapapa Beach Fales
- Valengina’s Beach Fales
- Romeo’s Beach Fales
(Village of Lalomanu) - Manusina Beach Fales
(Village of Salaepaga)
A few properties in neighboring areas such as Virgin Cove, in the village of Saanapu, Le Vasa Resort on Upolu and Aganoa Surf Retreat in Savaii are still operating, despite facing some degree of damage.
For further updates, please click on the name of the properties in this post to go to its websites or visit the Samoan Tourism Authority
Samoa Tourism: “Still Has So Much To Offer” ; Tsunami Destruction Confined to South Coast Upolu Samoa
Posted: October 7, 2009 | Author: PacificEyeWitness.com | Filed under: Analysis, Breaking News, Business, Community, Current, Earthquake Tsunami Samoa/AmSampa 09, Environment, NZPacific, Politics, South Pacific Region, Tourism | Tags: beach fales samoa, john key, Minister of Tourism Misa Telefoni, nz prime minister, photo joe annandale, samoa, samoa tourism, samoa tourism authority, South Coast of Upolu, tsunami destruction confined to south coast upolu | 2 CommentsWe’ve focused, for good reason, on the tragedy in Samoa and the loss of lives. It’s been very difficult for many of us to comprehend the devastation and focus on much else at the moment. It’s as though our thoughts have frozen in time. Now, a week later, I think of the people in Samoa who must now struggle to make sense of their lives. Some will fare well. Others won’t. One thing I want to talk about here, Samoa Tourism which is the economic lifeblood of Samoa.
While the earthquake was felt through the islands of Samoa, the tsunami and its destruction was localised to the South Coast of Upolu, Samoa. So the rest of the island, as far as tourist resorts and beach fales, it’s business as usual. We hope that if you have been a tourist to Samoa that you will return again and enjoy the hospitality of the people of Samoa. The loss of lives is confined to the South Coast villages along the coastline. Resorts and beach fales located in other parts of Samoa such as Apia, Savaii and elsewhere, island paradise is still visible.
Minister of Tourism Misa Telefoni says Samoa Tourism is preparing a strong message that “Samoa still has so much more to offer our visitors whose custom we value and whose patronage we consider a special privilege and honour.”
He cites the following figures from the Samoa Tourism Authority (STA):
- We still have 5 out of 7 deluxe hotels available – 326 Rooms and 854 beds.
- We still have 5 out of 7 superior Resorts available – 135 Rooms and 314 beds
- We still have 22 out of 24 standard hotels available – 315 Rooms and 759 Beds
- We still have 27 out of 29 Budget hotels available – 406 rooms and 864 beds
- We still have 9 out of 14 Beach Fales available (Overnight stays) or 144 rooms and 348 beds.
- We still have 8 out of 17 Beach Fales available (Day Stays) or 51 rooms.
There is concern among the locals and Government that tourists might abandon Samoa as a holiday destination given last week’s tragedy. If that happens, it will also cause even more suffering for the people of Samoa, particularly those families who have relied on tourism as a way to support their families.
Sinalei Resort owner Joe Annandale (L), who lost his wife Tui during the disaster, describes the tsunami wave to the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key (R) at the Sinalei Resort near the village of Maninoa.
[picapp src=”a/e/b/e/John_Key_Visits_2829.jpg?adImageId=4744308&imageId=6692245″ width=”500″ height=”331″ /]
If you are reading this from Samoa, and you operate one of the resorts or fales that is still operating in Samoa, please post a comment and let our readers know.
Samoa’s Tourism Authority signs Memorandum of Understanding with China
Posted: September 16, 2008 | Author: PacificEyeWitness.com | Filed under: South Pacific Region | Tags: china, misa telefoni, pacific, samoa, samoa tourism authority, sonya hunter, tourism in the pacific | Leave a comment
This…from PacNews in Fiji.
15 SEPTEMBER 2008 XIAMEN (Pacnews) —— A significant milestone in efforts to attract more Chinese tourists to Samoa has been achieved with the signing of the important Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Samoa and China, reports Samoa Observer.
The MOU between the Samoa Tourism Authority (STA) and the National Tourism Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNTA) on the facility of group travel by Chinese tourists to Samoa was signed in Xiamen.
The agreement was signed by deputy Prime minister and minister of tourism, Misa Telefoni and the Head of CNTA, Shao Qi Wei.
“The Chinese government and CNTI will encourage – as they have always done – Chinese tourists to visit Samoa,” Mr Qi Wei said.
“We are glad to expand our cooperation in tourism and we look forward to working with you wherever possible,” he continued.
Mr Telefoni said the agreement was a “historic” one. “We are extremely proud that China is today saying to your 1.3 billion people that Samoa, a very special friend of China is now a place hopefully they can visit,” he said.
“And we are very mindful that we now must work very, very hard to make sure that the people of China have quick and direct access to the Pacific as quick as possible,” Mr Telefoni said.
“We are very excited that we have managed to convince Air New Zealand in their direct flights from Shanghai, Beijing to New Zealand, that some of those flights will connect (to the Pacific) so that a person who checks in at Shanghai can end up in Samoa.
“But of course we are still dreaming of the day when we can inaugurate the first non-stop flight from Shanghai and Beijing direct to the Pacific islands.
“I believe firmly in my heart that this agreement today will be seen and judged by history as being the significant milestone in terms of cementing the relations between Samoa and China and also to increase visitor numbers to the Pacific islands.”
Mr Telefoni said STA’s general manager, Matatamali’i Sonja Hunter was scheduled to travel to China to finalise details of the agreement.
In a separate signing ceremony, Mr Telefoni and China’s minister of commerce, Cheng De Ming signed a $10million RMB (US$1.4 million) grant for Samoa to use in whatever developmental issue the government deems necessary.
Chief executive officer of the ministry of finance, Hinauri Petana said the grant would be left to the government to decide what to do with.
During bilateral discussions, Mr Telefoni revealed that the Samoan Government has put forth a request for the construction of a facility to house the Oceania University of Medicine (OUM) and a new hospital. Samoa’s ministry of foreign affairs and trade has also requested further assistance in capacity building among other areas…PNS (ENDS)
Samoa Deputy Prime Minister Calls It ‘Black Tuesday’; Recounts Tragedy on The Ground
Posted: October 4, 2009 | Author: PacificEyeWitness.com | Filed under: Analysis, Breaking News, Business, Community, Current, Earthquake Tsunami Samoa/AmSampa 09, Environment, NZPacific, Opinion & Commentary, Politics, South Pacific Region, Tourism | Tags: air new zealand, AMERICAN SAMOA, american samoa tsunami, earthquake in samoa, earthquake tsunami alert, European Union aid to Samoa, falealili, fales still open in samoa, Former Labour Ministers Hon Luamanuvao Winnie Laban and Chris Carter, glen sowry, government of china, Government of Japan, Government of Tokelau, international humanitarian assistance to samoa, Lesamatauanuu, lives lost in Malaela village Aleipata Samoa, Malaela, Mark Pitt of Polynesian Blue., misa telefoni, New Zealand Labour Party, NZ Foreign Affairs Murray McCully, NZ Prime Minister John Key, Pacific Blue, Pacific Forum Line, Polynesian Blue, Puipaa, Purcell clan, Saleapaga, Saleapaga tsunami deaths, samoa deputy prime minister speaks to pacificeyewitness.org, samoa tourism, samoa tourism authority, samoa tsunami, Samoan Minister of Tourism, Sinalei Resort Samoa, Siumu, Tanumapua, tonga tsunami, Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale, Tui Annandale, Update from Samoa's Deputy Prime Minister Misa Telefoni, village Samoa Aleipata, Virgin Blue, White Sunday in Samoa | Leave a commentSamoa’s Deputy Prime Minister Misa Telefoni, who is also Samoa’s Tourism Minister, was in Auckland when the earthquake and tsunami hit Samoa pn Tuesday 29 October 2009 leaving a trail of death and destruction with more than 140 officially declared dead. The following account are his own words of that day which he calls ‘Black Tuesday’.