PATA Leads Samoa Tourism Recovery Plan

PATA’s efforts to lead a tourism recovery for disaster-hit Samoa took another step this week with a one-day workshop headed by the island’s Deputy Prime Minister Misa Telfoni. Telfoni will be joined by key travel industry representatives from the public and private sectors under the workshop banner “Samoa Tourism Exchange -- Moving Forward.”

Delegates include PATA Journalist of the Year Nigel Coventry, editor of the New Zealand-based travel newsletter Inside Tourism. It is expected that his reporting from Samoa will give assistance to the communications and media plan that is being drafted by PATA.

The plan will be based on the association’s experience in dealing with other crises such as the Bali bombings, SARS, the Sichuan province earthquake and the 2004 tsunami.

The IFC is to submit recommendations on infrastructure re-build to the government and Perrottet’s report will also include estimates on loan and aid requirements. Flynn will play a central role in Friday’s workshop and has been coordinating efforts with PATA members across the region.