Sustainability Part One - Tourism

At the core of the Le Faleo'o project is reviving the cultural skills of American Samoa.  The financial survivability of the project will depend on multiple streams of cash flow. Tourism is only one of these streams.

Between September 2019 and June 2020 there are twenty cruise ships scheduled to port in American Samoa.  Although it's wonderful to have thousands of cruise ship visitors come to the island, the fact that they only affect twenty days out of the year makes it near logistically impossible for producers to provide a consistent product.  As a result, the only products available to these visitors are tour buses, taxi tours and your occasional private tours. You also have individual vendors that participate in a makeshift flea market. The common thread that makes these type of products readily available is the fact that the bus and taxi operations are in operation year round, not just the twenty days.  The vendors and private tour operators have other sources of income, hence all these product providers treat the twenty cruise ship days as supplementation revenue.

In addition to the thousands of cruise ship visitors, thousands of family and friends travel to Pago each year.  The culture of Samoa is very family oriented. Thousands of family will return home for funerals, weddings, chief inaugurations, and simply to visit their loved ones.  Many of these travelers will not have an impact on the tourism industry due to the business like nature of their travels. However, for those that are traveling back for leisure, these could have a larger impact on the industry if products were available for their consumption.  But again the inconsistency makes it difficult for producers to provide good products to the marketplace.

There are many very capable entrepreneurs here in American Samoa who could build tourism products. However, they would need an increased number of leisure travelers, or supplement their product with non-tourism revenue, or obtain governmental supplementation to ensure their operations maintain consistency throughout the year. Of course option one is ideal, as it would provide the producers with the economic environment to take those financial risk in order to develop our tourism market. However, option one faces a number of challenges.   

Restrictive travel is one of those challenges. There are only two air travel routes available to American Samoa. The first route is through Hawaii.  This route has only two weekly flights available. Mainland US travelers find having to pay for airfare to Hawaii then on to Pago cost prohibitive. In addition, the two available flights weekly do not give these travelers the flexibility they are accustomed to.  The second route to American Samoa is through Apia, Samoa. This route has several flights available daily. However, travelers using this route will need to route through Fiji or New Zealand which again is cost prohibitive.

Another factor that poses challenges to travelers to American Samoa is current immigration policies.  A non-US passport traveler will need to obtain a 30-day visitors permit. There are exemptions for cruise ship visitors. This process among other things will require a local sponsor. This process is quite daunting and often discourages the most ardent adventurers.

Le Faleo'o is developed with these issues facing our tourism industry in mind.  Tourism revenue is only a portion of the overall revenue. Throughout this “Sustainability Series” we will go through each cash flow opportunity to hopefully make the case that although it will be challenging, we can answer the riddle of our time and in fact use current economic principles and trends to save American Samoa’s cultural skill.    

Pertaining to tourism, our project will focus on the strengths that American Samoa has to offer travelers. Contrary to popular opinion, in my opinion, one of our best assets is the fact that American Samoa is under-developed. Yes, we are not Hawaii, Fiji or Tahiti. Many travelers might find the non-commercialization of our island and culture unattractive.  They might like traffic, crowded beaches, waiting in line for everything and overpriced meals. For these travelers, I'm sure coming to American Samoa won't be attractive. But for those who seeking seclusion from the crowd, participating in authentic cultural activities, spending time and getting to know people who are genuinely happy that you came and perhaps even having the beach all to yourself, for those folks, we say Talofa or welcome.

At Le Faleo'o, our guests will have the opportunity to learn, work, play, eat and be entertained in our traditional village.  They can learn the significance of the ie toga or fine mat as well as participate in weaving their own small mat to take home.  They can learn Samoan myths and legends such as the Samoan creation story. Receive a Samoan Fofo or traditional healing massage. Watch artists as they carve the canoe, ava bowl and other items. Look on and participate in preparing the umu or food cooked in the traditional earth oven. Participate in a traditional Ava ceremony, learn the Samoan siva or dance, weave a hat or basket, learn Samoan folk songs and many more activities.

Guest can participate in hiking experiences.  These hikes will take them to secluded beaches, tide pools, abandoned villages, rain forest and to some of the most amazing views on earth.  They can participate in traditional fishing, utilizing traditional tools such as the Samoan canoe, fishing hook, traps and lures. The dining experience in the village will be a farm & sea to floor experience. Meals prepared using only traditional organic ingredients grown or caught locally.  Meals will be served traditional style in a Samoan fale or house. Guests will enjoy their meal in the company and entertainment of our village locals.

I’m quite confident given the current products choices available to leisure and cruise ship visitors, a percentage of them would select to purchase a package to have an authentic cultural experience. Although it is a goal of Le Faleo’o to increase the number of new leisure travelers, we operate under no dilution that this will happen in the amount that would be needed to sustain the project on tourism dollars alone. However, we contend it is a good start.    

It's a fact that there is an increased number of travelers that are willing to put up with logistical travel challenges in order to experience culture, experience something intimate, something real, something authentic.  Again we say to these travelers, Talofa - welcome to American Samoa