To Sua ocean trench: Samoa could reopen to tourists by the end of August. Photo / 123RF
Samoa has announced it is ready to welcome back international tourists.
During a special announcement Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said that the country would be opening its borders to neighbouring countries by the end of the year.
Although exact dates were not given for the travel restart, travellers would be welcomed back from August.
New Zealand was among the countries named as first to reconnect with the Pacific nation.
The Samoan Tourism Authority was quick to welcome the news.
STA's acting CEO Dwayne Bentley said that - as one of Samoa's closest neighbours - travellers from New Zealand would be vital to the island's economic recovery.
"As international travel begins to take shape again, Samoa has been striving to ensure critical components of our travel-ready toolkit are in place. All of these efforts ensure we are in a top position to safely open borders to travellers," he said.
The Tourism Authority said it was helping to develop a series of protocols to make the islands "travel ready" - including a digital contact tracing app and additional training for tourism operators. However the arrival of leisure travel is still four months away.
Tourists would be the last to return to the islands, after Samoan citizens and accredited foreign nationals were invited to return from May.
This planned reopening was subject to vaccination progress, testing and other health infrastructure was ready for quarantine-free travel to the Island.
PM Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said that the reopening would be subject to meeting these public health conditions and begin with Samoa's closest neighbours.
"Critical to this decision are the current rates of our vaccination programme, amendments to quarantine conditions and the opening of borders of our neighbouring countries like Australia and Fiji; as well as New Zealand in October of this year," she said.
With Apia only four hours away by plane, STA's Bentley said that he looked forward to "welcoming visitors with open arms later this year."
Sailing away from mass tourism - it isn't easy but it is worth it.