The Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A.) has announced the recommencement of its Trade Familiarisation Program for 2023 in a bid to boost tourist numbers into Samoa.

In a statement that was published on the authority’s website on Friday, the STA said the program offers retail agents the opportunity to discover the island nation's “abundance of activities and experiences” first-hand. 

The program is part of the organisation’s trade re-engagement efforts and aims to boost awareness amongst frontline retailers and position the country as a unique holiday destination.

Accompanied by S.T.A. local staff, the agents will receive a full guided tour of Upolu and Savai’i which includes hotel/property inspections and touristic site visits. The program will highlight the importance of selling from experience as well as enabling the participating agents to sell Samoa with confidence, says the authority.

Current guests include agents from Australia’s Ignite Travel, Flight Centre, Omniche Holidays, Island Escapes and Entire Travel which are some of the largest travel companies in the country. 

The authority’s planned inclusion of agents from New Zealand has been postponed due to disruptions caused by the January floods followed by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Although visitor numbers have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, recently released tourism data reveal a steady flow of travellers since Samoa's borders reopened in August last year. It shows the number of visitors for the August - December 2022 period sits around 47,000 people — over half that of pre-pandemic visitors recorded in 2019.

"We’re excited to welcome international visitors back to Samoa and are confident we will continue to see those numbers rise quickly over the next 12 months,” the STA said in the statement. 

“According to our most recent reporting, we are tracking well against our projections per our recovery plan.”

New Zealand continues to be Samoa's largest international tourist market, accounting for 21,460 international arrivals in 2022 (46 per cent), followed by Australian visitors at 12,234 (26 per cent). 

Qantas and Fiji Airways currently operate flights to Samoa from Australia, while Virgin Australia is set to join in March. Air New Zealand operates daily direct flights from New Zealand while Fiji Airways operates connecting flights via Nadi.

The S.T.A. management said it acknowledges and appreciates the support of Samoa’s local tourism operators.