Samoa has received a boost to its international tourism credentials by being the first Pacific country and the second country worldwide to complete a sustainable tourism programme.
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council says their Early Adopter Programme is a way to help countries to put sustainability high on the priority list for tourism ventures.
The programme was implemented by Sustainable Travel International and managed by its Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, Jeremy Sampson.
Mr Sampson says Samoa have long demonstrated good sustainability practices and set up its own monitoring unit back in the 1990s.
"Samoa actually has demonstrated leadership in sustainability practices for a long time. They really have a great baseline in place for destination management and I think they should be recognised for that. They have a vision for Samoa to be recognised as the leading sustainable tourism destination in the region."
Jeremy Sampson.
