Samoa Tourism

What Samoa Tourism does

Samoa Tourism Authority (STA) is the government statutory body of the Independent State of Samoa responsible for promoting Samoa as an international tourism destination. It operates a dual-platform digital portfolio: the consumer-facing samoa.travel website, which provides destination information, interactive maps, operator listings, accommodation, and activity booking resources, and the trade-focused specialist.samoa.travel portal, which serves travel agents with training modules, webinars, familiarization programmes, operator directories, and downloadable marketing collateral. The authority supports inbound tour operators (Samoa Scenic Tours, Island Hopper Vacations, Samoa Holidays and Events, Samoa Sunsation) and airline partners (Qantas, Samoa Airways) through channel partnerships, and runs consumer direct-to-consumer marketing via social media, email, and a travel blog.

STA is funded as a government entity and does not sell tourism products directly; its commercial activity is limited to promotional services and advertising for tourism business subscribers on samoa.travel. Its go-to-market combines event-driven trade engagement (famil trips, webinars, industry events) with channel-partner distribution and community-led direct marketing. The authority is headquartered in Apia with regional offices in Auckland (New Zealand), Liverpool NSW (Australia), and London (UK/Europe), and operates physical visitor information centres on Beach Road in Apia and at Faleolo International Airport.

Name

Samoa Tourism

Legal name

Samoa Tourism Authority

Website

https://samoa.travel

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Samoa Tourism Authority is the government statutory body that promotes the Independent State of Samoa as a Pacific Island tourism destination. It runs the samoa.travel consumer website, the specialist.samoa.travel trade portal, and regional offices in Auckland, Australia, and London to support travel agents and inbound tour operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Tourism Promotion

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Inbound/Local Retail Travel Agencies (Destination Booking Offices) (THAKABAH)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Tourism promotion
• Travel trade portal
• Visitor information services
• Tourism marketing authority

Headquarters

HQ city

Samoa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tourism Promotion Services: Samoa Tourism Authority provides promotional services to tourism business subscribers including targeted advertising, operator listings, and promotional activities on samoa.travel. The authority acts as a government statutory body supporting tourism product development and marketing.
2. Travel Agent Training and Support: The authority provides free training resources, webinars, familiarisation programmes, and specialist certification for travel agents to promote Samoa as a destination.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Samoa Tourism Authority is the official government body that promotes Samoa as a tourist destination. It operates the consumer-facing samoa.travel website with travel planning resources, accommodation listings, and interactive maps, alongside the specialist.samoa.travel trade portal that provides travel agents with training modules, webinars, familiarization programs, and operator directories. The authority also runs Visitor Information Fales in Apia and at Faleolo International Airport offering free travel advice and bookings.

Product overview

Samoa Tourism Authority operates a dual-platform portfolio centered on the official Samoa.travel consumer website and the specialist.samoa.travel trade portal. The consumer platform provides comprehensive travel planning through the main website featuring interactive maps, accommodation listings, and activity bookings, complemented by physical Visitor Information Fale locations in Apia and at the international airport. The trade platform serves travel agents with training modules, webinars, familiarization programmes, operator directories, and downloadable marketing resources including the Overview Brochure, Islands Map, Adventure Brochure, Romance Brochure, and Fiafia Brochure. Supporting services include an Operator Registration System for local tourism businesses to manage their listings, the Sell Samoa Incentive Programme for agents, and dedicated Property Information Factsheets for accommodation properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Samoa.travel Consumer Website Official Samoa tourism website providing comprehensive travel information, accommodation discovery, activity listings, interactive maps, booking capabilities, and travel planning resources for international visitors planning trips to Samoa.
• Samoa Specialist Trade Portal Dedicated B2B portal serving travel agents and tour operators with training modules, operator factsheets, destination videos, webinars, maps and brochures, familiarisation programme details, and agent-exclusive rate information for New Zealand and Australia markets.
• Visitor Information Fale Physical visitor information centres located at Beach Road in Apia and at Faleolo International Airport providing free in-person travel advice, bookings assistance for tours, activities, and accommodation for international and domestic visitors.
• Self-Famil Programme Familiarisation programme for travel trade partners offering heavily discounted rates during the off-season (October to April) for travel agents to experience Samoa firsthand, conditional on completing specialist training modules first. Flights, accommodation, breakfast, transfers, and entry fees covered.
• Operator Registration System Online platform allowing local tourism operators (accommodation, activities, events) to claim ownership of their listings and manage their content, photos, and information on the official Samoa.travel website.
• Travel Trade Webinar Series Online training sessions delivered to travel agents covering destination knowledge, history, culture, currency, language, transport options, and tourism product updates. Multiple recordings are available covering New Zealand and Australian markets.
• Sell Samoa Incentive Programme Incentive programme where travel agents earn entries to win a Samoan holiday by submitting details of holidays they have sold to Samoa, encouraging active promotion of the destination through travel trade channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lalomanu Beach regularly voted among world's top beaches
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• QantascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQantas operates direct flights from Auckland, New Zealand to Apia, Samoa. The inaugural flight was celebrated by Samoa Tourism Authority as a key milestone for tourism access. The flight continues to Sydney after turnaround, connecting Samoa to major Australian markets.
• Ethos CRSsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAustralian training provider that facilitated Advanced Customer Service training programme for Samoa Tourism Authority industry members. Training designed to enhance skills essential to delivering superior visitor experience.
• Samoa Scenic TourscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInbound tour operator providing wide range of services including transfers, tours, product advice, price and availability coordination, and maintaining high standards of product delivery. Primary contact: Laura Wadsworth.
• Island Hopper Vacations SamoacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInbound tour operator offering travel arrangement coordination, payment processing, and product delivery services. Primary contact: Alise Stunnenberg.
• Samoa Holidays and EventscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInbound tour operator specializing in events and general holiday coordination. Primary contact: Ropate Nasau.
• Samoa SunsationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInbound tour operator providing tourism facilitation services. Primary contact: Mosie Su'a.
• Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSamoa Tourism Authority supports MNRE's reinforced ban on single-use plastics, a move aligned with environmental preservation goals. This partnership supports Samoa's environmental sustainability image.
• Samoa Shipping CorporationsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment corporation operating car and passenger ferries between Upolu and Savai'i islands. Ferries enable visitors to travel between main islands, with terminals at Mulifanua Wharf (Upolu) and Salelologa Wharf (Savai'i).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tourism Australia: Tourism Australia is the NTO for Australia and a key source-market competitor/partner for Samoa. Same DMO business model and audience overlap, but vastly larger budget and global brand presence.
• Tourism New Zealand: Tourism New Zealand is the NTO for New Zealand and one of the largest, best-resourced Pacific DMOs globally. Comparable mandate and trade-portal strategy, but at significantly greater scale and budget than Samoa Tourism Authority.

Direct peers

• Tourism Fiji: Tourism Fiji is the national tourism organisation for Fiji, directly comparable as a Pacific Island NTO responsible for destination marketing, trade training, and international promotion. It is the closest large-NTO peer and serves overlapping source markets (NZ, Australia, USA).
• Tahiti Tourisme: Tahiti Tourisme is the national tourism organisation of French Polynesia, with the same DMO mandate — destination marketing, travel trade enablement, and visitor information services for a small island economy. Comparable scale and channel strategy.
• Cook Islands Tourism Corporation: Cook Islands Tourism is the NTO for the Cook Islands, a similar small South Pacific destination marketed primarily to NZ and Australian source markets. Highly comparable in visitor profile, marketing budget scale, and cultural-tourism positioning.
• Tonga Tourism Authority: Tonga Tourism Authority is the NTO for the Kingdom of Tonga, comparable as a smaller Pacific neighbour with similar visitor demographics, cultural heritage emphasis, and limited air access from Australia/NZ.
• Vanuatu Tourism Office: Vanuatu Tourism Office is the NTO for Vanuatu, another small Pacific Island destination with strong adventure and cultural tourism positioning, sharing NZ/Australia source markets and similar visitor information centre infrastructure.
• Hawaii Tourism Authority: Hawaii Tourism Authority is a US-state-level destination marketing organisation for Hawaii. Comparable as a Pacific Island DMO with similar mandates of destination promotion, trade engagement, and visitor information, though at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Niue Tourism Office: Niue Tourism is the visitor bureau for Niue, a very small Pacific neighbour of Samoa with similar niche eco-tourism positioning and a heavy NZ source market. Comparable at a smaller scale.

Regional players

• Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau: Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau is the NTO for the Solomon Islands, another small South Pacific destination with comparable visitor profile, limited air access, and emerging tourism positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/samoatourism
• Facebookfacebook.com/SamoaTourismAuthority
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/samoa-tourism
• Instagraminstagram.com/samoatourism
• Xx.com/samoatourism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Samoa Tourism