The Chinese Tour Groups now visiting Samoa have been in the works by Travel Focus since 2012.
This is according to a statement released after criticisms and comments in the local media.
Chinese Tour Groups in collaboration with Aggie Greys Hotel that are in charge of the direct flights from China to Samoa projected that at at least $1.1 million tala was input into the local economy from this first flight of Chinese tourists that arrived Sunday 28 May 2023.
It was the vision of Cabinet Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao that prompted investment opportunities and drew our own interest in the tourism link that we saw was central to a direct flight between Samoa and China.
As part of their own investment to promote Samoa as a destination in China, they have funded past promotional events that included funding a Samoan Dance Troupe and Miss Samoa that promoted Samoa at the World Tourism Expo in Hong Kong in 2014. There was no cost at all to the Samoan government and local tourism sector.
In early May 2023, they funded Samoa’s exposure at the World Tourism Expo in Hong Kong where officials of the Tourism Sector attended Minister of Tourism, Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster and the Samoa Tourism Authority CEO, Toleafoa Pativaine Tevita in preparation for the inaugural direct flight from China to Samoa.
The statement says their many years of investment and planning for these direct flights, always featured our concerns for the logistics locally. The hotels and accommodation, transfers, transport, food etc… More especially, they are very conscious of the cultural and especially the language barrier where we have to engage professional translators.
Bringing in 200-plus Chinese tourists is no simple and straightforward task. After years of their own investment and planning, they cannot afford to secure a direct flight to bring in tourists only to encounter any issues that will endanger the operation and negatively impact the tourism industry in Samoa.
“At the launch of the direct flights 26 May 2023 in Mainland China, three Associate Ministers from Samoa and a Board member of the Samoa Tourism Authority attended and were our guests that accompanied the group on the inaugural flight that arrived in Samoa on 28 May 2023.”
The statement says that in one of their group visits in late April 2023, they confronted a safety issue when three of their team were seriously injured when they were hit by a wave at the Taga Blowholes as despite being
accompanied by a local Tour Guide, they were not properly guided on the site’s safety protocols.
“Issues such as this we wanted to plan against and avoid when the actual tourists arrive and move around Samoa.
“Weeks before the direct flight was about to depart, we were informed by the Samoa Tourism Authority, to postpone. Understandably, this was not a simple matter you can just cancel.
“After years of our planning, it was no longer feasible to delay especially at this late state of development and our teams having scouted the facilities and logistics in Samoa.
“It must be made clear that this is a private venture. These flights bringing in Chinese tourists cost nothing at all to Samoa and the Government. Even the promotions we had funded over the years. “So our choice of local support staff and a Tour Operator is grounded primarily on who we trust to deliver what we had been working on over the years.
“This is only the first flight and we have five more flights lined up and we have to make sure the experience of this first flight will not jeopardize the rest.”
The statement says that for the First Group, the guests have been staying in nine (9) hotels around Apia.
“They visited some of Samoa’s iconic tourist and historic sites and included a one-day tour of Savaii Island.
“We are utilising local transport operators and many other services such as the Fire knife and Church Youth Group dancers, eating Samoan food, buying Samoa-made handicrafts and even a flow down to the coconut and orange fruit sellers on the roadsides.
“We estimate at least $1.1m Tala input into the local economy from this first flight. These are the benefits and flow-down economic impacts of the industry that we all like to see.
“The Second Group arrived at 7.00 pm Saturday night, 03 June 2023 and the return flight to China on Sunday 04 June 2023 took the 250 tourists from the First Group after spending a great time in Samoa.
“We hope this clarifies any misunderstandings as we envisage a long-term relationship with the Samoa tourism industry.
“We again acknowledge the support of the Samoan Government and its various agencies more
especially the Samoa Tourism Authority and we sincerely thank the warmth and hospitality of the
Samoan people in welcoming our guests.”
