Samoa will welcome more than a thousand visitors from all over the world when MS Ocean Dream’s Peace Boat docks at the Matautu wharf this morning.

The Peace Boat is paying its third visit to Samoa since 2009 as part of a 104-day around-the-world voyage to promote grassroots exchange and education about global issues. 

Samoa is the boat’s last stop before it heads home to Yokohama. It is coming from Tahiti.

The visitors will be welcomed by the Samoa Ports Authority and Samoa Tourism Authority who have organised entertainment and vendors at the wharf.

There will also be tours provided by Oceania Travel and Tours who are the local Shore Excursion Operators. Betham Brothers Enterprises is the local agent for the vessel.

The passengers are mainly from Japan but there are over 15 different nationalities onboard.

The unique non-profit organization running the Peace Boat was founded over 33 years ago by university students in Tokyo.

Since then, the Peace Boat has developed into an international N.G.O with United Nations consultative status with an influential presence in Japanese civil society and the global peace movement.