The Samoa Hotel and Hospitality Association President has expressed disappointment at the slashing of the Samoa Tourism Authority’s 2022-2023 Budget in the new financial year.

However, Tupai Saleimoa Vaai believes the tourism sector in Samoa should work harder in order to find ways to get the help that they need to reinvigorate the sector.

The Government’s 2022-2023 Budget, which is currently being debated in the Parliament and is yet to be passed, has cut the budget of the S.T.A. from $19.8 million in the 2021-2022 Budget to $9.5 million in the 2022-2023 Budget.

Asked to comment on the budget cut, Tupai told the Samoa Observer that on reflection it has been a long and hard year, not just for the tourism sector but also the country. 

"The reality is that we are struggling, our economy is struggling in all facets and it is not anyone's fault,” he said in an interview. 

“The political crisis that was uncalled for had been our hardest challenge, that and then being amidst the pandemic, was all a hard hit on our people and the economy.”

The S.H.H.A. President then made reference to the costs currently for the tourism sector and how prices have increased with little to no resources for the Government to rely on.

“So we are thankful that we had some help in the past two and half years, but we need more money to come in through aid programs and there needs to be economic activities so the private sector needs to get rolling too," he said.

"I understand the Government's drive. I also know that pretty much the tourism sector is the hardest hit sector as it went from 100 to zero during the pandemic.

"It is hard to accept that our budget has been reduced because we also worked hard to try to get in a position to open the borders.”

Emphasising that “it is hard to point the finger at anyone,” Tupai added that the industry should continue knocking on doors.

“From our perspective, as an industry we know we need the help and we will keep knocking on doors, including the Government's to help the sector out.

"I think it also comes down to our country deciding how important tourism is to our economy.”

Samoa’s tourism sector has played a critical role in the country’s development as the S.H.H.A. President said when the industry experiences a downturn, a lot of things in Samoa depend on the aid programme.

“When tourism was at a low, that is when we noticed many things depend on aid for a while. "We are disappointed that the budget is cut at a crucial point, just as we are preparing for the borders to open.

"At the same time, we are hesitant to be critical but we want to utilise what has been given as we try to make use of the investments we have put into tourism.

"But all of this will go to waste if we don't get the economy right again.”

As to the working relationship between the S.H.H.A. and the Minister for Tourism, Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster, Tupai said the Minister has been responsive to the association.

"The Minister has been responsive to the S.H.H.A.," he said. "I just feel that as President that we need a special allotment for the tourism sector, because when the borders open that will come back tenfold.”