P.M. closes Tourism Forum

By Vatapuia Maiava 12 March 2016, 12:00AM

The Samoa Tourism Forum ended on Thursday night with a small dinner at the Samoa Cultural Village Fale. Reverend Afamasaga Fuimaono blessed the event with a prayer before Caretaker Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi closed the two-day event.

“I have been informed that you have had invigorating forum discussions and we look forward to receiving the recommendations that you have arrived at,” he said.

“That will deem to provide a pathway to our achieving excellence and success for a dynamic tourism sector and supported tourism hosted community.” The P.M. also took the opportunity to launch the Tourism Areas Management Plans.

“It is also a pleasure to launch the tourism development areas management plans this evening. A project that is committed to the enhancement of the resilience of tourism reliant communities to climate change risks.

“It is being implemented by the Samoa Tourism Authority with financial assistance from the global environment facility through U.N.D.P. The project will be in line to help develop 5 tourism areas to assist with providing adaptation measure

“The management plans identify and prioritize adaptive measures for tourism management planning for 5 tourism development areas.

“Building on the community’s vision and integrating climate change adaptation and disaster risk management guidelines.”

This project will aim at small business operators in the tourism industry.

“The plan focuses on small to medium tourism operators and also on the host communities that have brought these businesses and which they operate,” Tuilaepa said. “Some of the measures may be implemented with funding connected to this component of the project under a small grant scheme.”

The launch of these tourism development areas will in time develop to producing enhanced tourism products which will be introduced in next year’s forum.

By Vatapuia Maiava 12 March 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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