biggest future money-earner

Tourism seen as W. Samoa's biggest future money-earner

From R. F. RANKIN in Apia Most people in Apia now agree with Western Samoa’s Director of Economic Development, Mr. A. Gerakas, that tourism will probably be the country’s biggest single money earner by 1970, bringing in an income of SWS 1,400,000 or more.

The number of tourists has been increasing dramatically in recent months. In the first eight months of this year, the number of Ameri cans was up to 1,713 (an increase of 75 per cent, over the same period last year), and the number of New Zealanders rose to 1,021, an increase of 25 per cent.

The fact that tourism brings in cash without the labour of digging, planting and clearing required by agriculture gives it strong appeal.

And what with the vagaries of the overseas market and the setbacks of crop diseases and last year’s hurri cane, the bitter opposition of Samoan traditionalist politicians towards the disruptive influence of tourists has given way to a grudging acceptance of them.

So far both Government and private enterprise appear to be answering the challenge of this new industry well.

Association formed

Under the expert hands of Mr.

Gerakas, the Economic Development Department succeeded in getting legislators to agree to Western Samoa’s joining PATA; the depart ment dreamed up the very successful Heart of Polynesia Conference, which was held in Apia at the end of May and was co-sponsored by American Samoa and Tonga; and during the rest of this year the department is to spend $lO,OOO on brochures and publicity aimed at the North American market.

Meanwhile, businessmen and others interested in tourism have decided to form the Western Samoa Travel and Holiday Organisation.

The aims of the association are to promote and maintain tourist traffic to and within Western Samoa; to guard the interests of tourists when visiting Samoa; to encourage the improvement and development of travel and allied facilities for the service of tourists within Western

Samoa; and to protect the legitimate interests of members of the associa tion and the industry in general.

A steering committee set up to draw up a constitution and report back in October included Mrs. Billy Retzlaff and Messrs. I, Rumsey, O.

Moors, W. Hopewell, H. Clark, N.

Paul, R. Dickinson, P. Creevey, A.

Betham and R. Berking.

Western Samoa’s tourist facilities are now almost unrecognisable by comparison with what they were a year ago.

Aggie Grey’s hotel has been sub stantially enlarged, and the service, food and entertainment there in variably draw praise from guests.

Hazards for tourists

Where not so long ago, all a visitor could do was to hire a Gold Star taxi for a trip, now there are three or four operators in the tourist business who can keep a tourist occupied with special trips by taxi or mini-bus for days on end.

There are daily sightseeing tours by comfortable bus with skilled and beautiful guides.

There is a model village especially constructed for the tourist not far from the Prime Minister’s residence at Lepea.

And for those who really want to savour island life, one operator can arrange trips by jautasi (a long boat rowed by 30 or more oarsmen) to Manono, a small but lovely island within the reef at the western end of Opolu. Manono is the nearest thing to a South Seas paradise that anyone could find.

What the development of tourism means to the average villager is still hard to say.

Small boys still occasionally throw stones at passing vehicles; or get laughs by insulting amiable middle aged Americans in a language they do not understand.

Youths still sometimes put the squeeze on small parties they have accompanied up Mt. Vaea to Steven

jn’s tomb; and tourists’ sunglasses r purses sometimes disappear from le beach.

But all this is bad manners —not lalice, as some who have suffered isult or loss would have others be sve.

Most villagers seem to enjoy hav ig visitors and are more concerned ; their ability to provide proper aspitality than with the threat of ien culture to their customs and aditions.

Prime Minister Mataafa summed p the official Samoan view at the sitor conference in May. He said lat while Samoan leaders had been inscious for some time of the Dtential of the tourist industry, they ave also been concerned “at the feet a full-scale promotion of it ould have on the social structure.

Successful co-existence

“We are now satisfied that, with oper organisation and control, the vo can co-exist successfully, and i fact, give each other strength,” he Ided.

Samoa, then, is committed to the icouragement of the tourist in jstry under close government introl, and there is little doubt that le industry will flourish and bring ■osperity to many.

There is little doubt also that in lother 10 years or so, the people [ the bustling metropolis of Apia ill look back with longing to the ays when people had less money i their pockets but when life was lore relaxed and perhaps happier.

But such is the price of progress.

As UN educationist Dr. Chester Williams said a few years ago, the /erage Samoan villager, with his eative potential virtually untapped, living the life of a mere vege ible. But whether a wage slave ill be happier than a vegetable is aybody’s guess. kTORFOLK Island’s airport will soon be able to take night indings. A team of Australian department of Civil Aviation tech icians and linesmen have installed ixiway lights and an illuminated pproach landing system. These lould enable the Qantas and Air lew Zealand planes to have more exible schedules than in the past.