28 Apr 2016

Samoa tourism looks to reassures visitors after cyclone

11:50 am on 28 April 2016

The Samoa Tourism Authority is going out of its way to reassure visitors that the islands have been left relatively unscathed by Cyclone Amos.

Heavy rain in Samoa's capital this morning as the nation awaits tropical cyclone Amos.

Cyclone Amos brought heavy rain to Samoa's capital but the overall impact has been minimal, according to Samoa's Tourism Authority. Photo: RNZI/Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia

The message comes as authorities fear a negative impact on visitor numbers as experienced by Vanuatu post Cyclone Pam in 2015 and more recently Fiji after Cyclone Winston.

STA marketing and promotions manager Dwayne Bentley said while his organisation extended its sympathies to the families and victims of the two super cyclones, it sought to clarify that there had been no loss of life in Samoa and minimal damage on the islands.

The South Pacific Tourism Organisation has also issued an advisory reassuring travellers that it is safe to travel to Samoa.

Its acting chief executive Alisi Lutu said the message was an important one as potential visitors sometimes attributed the fate of one Pacific country to the whole of the region, not fully understanding the vast distances between the islands.

A beach in Savai'i, Samoa

A beach in Savai'i, Samoa Photo: RNZI