Tourism on the island of Savaii is facing major challenges despite an influx of tourists since August last year which boosted the tourism sector's capability by 30 percent.

Savaii Samoa Tourism Association interim president, Tupai Saleimoa Vaai told the Samoa Observer that major challenges the tourism operators continue to face are labour, maintenance and lack of investment.

In Savaii, five per cent of the tourism operators including hotels and beach fale operators were closed during the pandemic the remainder stayed open.

"But with those who remained opened, they had 50 per cent capability to serve the tourists as obviously, there were some maintenance issues and some hotels could only offer a few rooms at the time," he said.

"But now with the increasing number of tourists coming over and overseas-based Samoans visiting families, the capability rate has increased to approximately 80 percent.

"However, there are still several challenges the operators continue to face and one major one is the staffing so again, the capability of the staff has not yet reached 100 percent."

According to Tupa'i, there is a certain standard needed for employees to be able to serve the tourists reasonably to give them full value for their money and maintaining the reputation of the country.

However, it has not been the case after losing most of their reliable and long-serving employees to overseas seasonal employment.

"Seasonal working schemes has really impacted the standards because we hire people nowadays just to make up the numbers but the standard has dropped," he said.

Similar sentiments were expressed by the owner of the Saletoga Resort, Gavin Brightwell who claimed that it's going to take a year to train the newly recruited staff to be up to standards.

With the lack of investment, Tupa'i urged that the sector needs investment to keep going either from government or the New Zealand and Australian governments such as training workers.

Last year, tourism operators benefitted from a much-needed $5 million cash infusion as part of a Government stimulus package which was distributed to several operators under specific criteria.

Tupa'i acknowledged the assistance but said it was not enough to bring operations back to what it was during the pre-pandemic era.

Meanwhile, the association is hopeful that the influx of tourists continue throughout the year for the sector revive its' normal operations although it will take longer.

Since Samoa's international borders reopened in August last year, Samoa Airport Authority recorded tourist influx with over 200 passengers on a daily basis with majority being overseas-based Samoans visiting their families in Samoa.