Advisers Urge

$1.6m. Hotel For Western Samoa

From R. F. Rankin, in Apia In contrast with the dismal

outlook painted by some experts

in certain fields of agriculture, the tourist industry holds possi bilities of rapidly becoming one of Western Samoa’s major money earners, according to a group of top level consultants from Hawaii.

MESSRS. W. Collins, G. Wimberly and R. Bush made a two-week on-the-spot survey of Samoa’s tourist potential at the request of the Samoan Government in September.

Mr. Collins, who is also associated with the Kerr Harris Foster tourist industry surveys of Fiji and Aus tralia, presented the report to Cabinet in person in November.

If the facilities are provided and promotion is undertaken there will be an increase in visitors of at least 120 per cent, in the next five years, said Mr. Collins. This will mean 20,000 tourists annually, each spend ing between $25-$5O daily during their average four-day stay, adding to the national income more than £500,000 of which he reckoned 60 per cent, would stay in the country.

New Hotel?

The report recommended building a $1,600,000 tourist hotel in the Lefatu area, about eight miles past Faleolo airport and about 30 miles out of Apia.

This area abounds in typical tropical white-sand beaches inside the lagoon, and near the hotel is a swampy area that could be drained for a golf course.

Mr. Collins thought that, starting from scratch, the planned develop ment of the tourist industry in Samoa providing tourists with proper resort areas and facilities, gave Western Samoa a big advantage over Fiji, where such planning was not in evidence.