Letters

W. Samoa's Tourist Interest

Sir,—I have read with much in erest the article “South Seas Wakens To Tourism Prospects” in he April issue of PIM.

However, I would like to comment >n the statement that no member of he Western Samoa Government at ended the Pacific Area Travel Asso iation conference in Australia.

At the workshop session in Mel lourne, Dick Piesse, of the Austra ian Travel Association, introduced le to PMR Sua-Filo of the Prime Minister’s Department, Apia, Western amoa, who was attending the con jrence as an observer.

We had a long discussion on the rospects of developing tourist in vest in Western Samoa and I re vived the impression that the Gov rnment was very much interested in le economic potential of the in ustry, I met Sua-Filo again at the Sydney action of the convention and he mentioned to me how valuable the hole convention had been to him, id that he would be reporting back ► his Government in due course.

As one who has had long ex jrience in tourist development in the iuth Pacific, I believe that Western imoa has a big future in the tourist ;t-work in the South Seas, and that ith sympathetic Government assis nce a most valuable contribution in be made to its economy through e controlled development of urism, I gathered from my conversations ith Sua-Filo that his Government is vare of this.—Yours, etc.

R. A. Howlett

fdney.