Samoa had more than 47,000 visitors in the second quarter of this year from April to June, with New Zealand accounting for 43.2 per cent of the visitors.

The Samoa Bureau of Statistics (S.B.S.) released their latest report on the second quarter of this year recording a total of 47,460 visitors from overseas which is a 57.5 per cent increase over the previous quarter of January to March.

The corresponding year with similar figures is 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit which reveals its impact on visitor numbers between 2020 and 2022.

Visitors, including those on transit, made up the largest component of all arrivals with 23,303 recorded for females and 22,360 for males.

The immigration arrival and departure card forms are the sourced documents for the compilation of international arrival statistics. These forms are completed by all incoming and outgoing travelers at Samoa’s three local points of entry namely the Faleolo International Airport, the Fagalii Airport and the Apia wharf at Matautu.

New Zealand remains the leading country in terms of visitor arrival by country of usual residence and accounted for 20,525 of total visitors. Australia followed next with 13,267 with the United States of America next with 3,780 followed by American Samoa with 3,541.

New Zealand, Australia, American Samoa, and the United States of America constituted 86.6 per cent of all visitors to Samoa while other countries rounded up the remaining 13.4 per cent during the reference period.

Visitors that entered Samoa for the holiday accounted for 40.1 per cent of all visitors. While those visiting family and friends accounted for 39.8 per cent and those that travelled for other purposes made up 8.6 per cent of total visitors.

A total of 56.6 per cent of the visitors stayed in private accommodation or with families and 37.4 per cent of total visitors reported staying in hotels and motels.

Samoa so far has seen a total of 77,596 visitors in the first half of this year. The international arrival statistics are compiled on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis.