By Staff Writer
The Samoa Tourism Authority (STA) is in a hiss and a roar at a New Zealand woman tourist waylaid on a walkabout of Apia about a week ago with her children.
The STA called in the local media on Friday for a senior official to vent serious disapproval of the criminal act and to warn of the dire consequences to tourism.
What is at stake is the tourist dollar that the national economy depends on, as the second highest source of revenue for the country after remittances.
The Tourism Authority invests heavily as well in the promotion of Samoa as a holidaying destination for the global market.
The unprovoked attack on the innocent visitors can easily undo all the hard work building the image of a safer Samoa.
The Authority zeroed in quickly on the care and support of the victim and her family after the attack in a policy undertaking of damaged control.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Papali’i Monalisa Keti, sat in during the media conference to add assurance of the law to the safety of tourists.
“This is the first incident that involved a tourist attack since the COVID 19 borders lifted and the suspect we are chasing after has a criminal record,” Papali’itele revealed.
“This is a one off incident on the tourist but the illegal act of theft, assault, breaking and entry in common terms, there are more.
“People like this suspected tourist attacker starts straying off the path of law at home and before long they are into theft, breaking and entry and more serious crimes.”
Police is already tracking down Silao Leleiga of Vaitele fou, Nofoalii, Sa’anapu, Sapunaoa and Sala’ilua Savai’i as the alleged offender identified by the victim.
The Tourism Authority is not taking any comparison of the safety of tourists in Samoa to any other destination instead they want to remain fully focused on what goes on in the country.
Other than leaning heavily on the enforcement shoulders of the police, they are also shifting up to a higher level of public awareness in the villages and in urban Apia for support of the tourism cause.
The last known attack on a tourist in Samoa was a few years back on a bicycle riding sightseeing tour around the islands.
New Zealand has the highest visitors’ numbers for Samoa followed by Australia.
The Deputy Commissioner was reflecting on media enquiries on any similar attacks on tourists prior to the pandemic and to see whether it follows a pattern.