Samoa Visitor Survey

Visitors to Upolu Only vs Savai’i Visitors Samoa International Visitor Survey (January – June 2019) Number of visitors

2,914 (66%) Upolu Only visitors

1,280 (29%) Savai’i visitors (includes those who spent time on other islands)

Note: survey data thus unweighted.

Country of Origin

60 56 53 50

30 25 26

20 Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share

10 9 5 5 6 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 0 New Zealand Australia Other Pacific North Europe American Asia Other America Samoa Countries Upolu Only Savai'i

Note: survey data thus unweighted. Distribution of age groups

30 28

25 23 22 22 20 20 19 17 15 15 13 13

10 Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share

5 5 3

0 18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70+ Upolu Only Savai'i Highest qualifications

80 73 73 70

Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share 21 19 20

10 4 6 2 2 0 Tertiary/University High school qualification Other No formal qualification qualification Upolu Only Savai'i Annual household income in NZD

Average 40 35 35 Upolu Only $122,361 30 30 28 Savai’i $115,023 24 25 20 21 20

Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share 10 9 10 7 7 5 4 4

0 Under $50,000 $50,001-100,000 $100,001-150,000 $150,001-200,000 $200,001-250,000 Over $250,001 Upolu Only Savai'i Main purpose of visit

Holiday 48 60 Business or conference 7 16 Visiting friends or relatives/family reunion 14 18 Family faalavelave 46 Transit 5 Attending a wedding 3 4 Other 12 Upolu Only Employment 11 Savai'i Special event-sporting 11 Education 11 Honeymoon 11 Volunteering 12 Special event-cultural 11 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Share of Visitors (%) Travelling to Samoa alone or not?

90 80 76 72 70 60 50 40 28

30 24 Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share 20 10 0 Yes No Upolu Only Savai'i Travelling with whom?

60 57 52 50 47 45

19 20

Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share 17

10 10 3 2 3 2 2 0 Partner/spouse Family Friend(s) Work colleagues Tour group Organised group Wedding party member(s) (e.g. school, sports etc)

*Multiple responses, therefore total does not add up to 100%. Upolu Only Savai'i Number of companions

45 43 41 40

20 15 16 15 Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share 12 12 10 10 8 9 7 6 5 5 3 2 3 2 2 2 1 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ Upolu Only Savai'i Previous visits to Samoa

60 55 50 50

30 24

20 18 Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share 16 17

10 10 10

0 First time 2 or 3 times 4 or 5 times 5+ times Upolu Only Savai'i Airline used

49 50 47

30 30 28

19 Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share 20 18 14 12 10 4 2 2 2 0 Air New Zealand Samoa Airways Fiji Airways Virgin Australia Talofa Airways Other Upolu Only Savai'i Islands Visited

120

100 100 100 92

40 Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share

20 4 1 0 Upolu Savai'i Manono Apolima Upolu Only Savai'i

*Multiple responses, therefore total does not add up to 100%. Length of stay

51 50

40 32 30 24 22 20 18 18 Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share 16

10 8 8 4

0 0-3 4-7 8-10 11-14 15 and more Number of nights

Upolu Only Savai'i Average length of stay

Average length of stay in the Samoa and on each island 12.0 10.9

10.0

8.0 7.5 7.0 6.8

6.0 Nights 4.5 4.0

2.0 1.4 0.4 0.0 Samoa total Upolu Savai'i Manono Apolima* Upolu Only Savai'i *: n=6 Attractions Visited

Upolu Only Savai’i & Upolu Top attractions on Upolu * Top attractions on Upolu *

. 70% Apia . 59% To Sua Ocean Trench . 43% To Sua Ocean Trench . 57% Apia . 38% Lalomanu beach . 51% Lalomanu beach . 28% Piula Cave Pool . 45% Mulifanua . 23% Togitogiga Falls . 39% Piula Cave Pool . 21% Papapapaitai Falls . 31% Togitogiga Falls

*Multiple responses, therefore total does not add up to 100%. Destinations Visited

Savai’i Island

Top attractions - Savai’i * 38%

48% . 61% Salelologa . 48% Alofaaga Blowholes 44% . 48% Saleaula Lava Fields . 44% Afuaau Waterfall 61% . 38% Falealupo

48%

*Multiple responses, therefore total does not add up to 100%. Accommodation types

75 Hotel/Resort 73 19 Private home 27 7 Fales 30 5 Village homestay 8 4 Guest houses/B&Bs/AirBnB 8 Upolu Only 3 Self Catering/Rented accommodation 5 Savai'i 3 Holiday home/Homestay 3 2 Backpackers/Budget/Hostels 8

Other 1

0 20 40 60 80

Share of Visitors (%) Satisfaction with accommodation types

Level of service

4.3 Hotel/Resort 4.3 4.0 Self Catering/Rented accommodation 4.2 4.4 Holiday home/Homestay 4.3 3.8 Backpackers/Budget/Hostels 4.2 4.2 Guest houses/B&Bs/AirBnB 4.3 Upolu Only 4.4 Savai'i Fales 4.4 4.7 Village homestay 4.6 4.4 Other 4.3

3.6 3.8 4.0 4.2 4.4 4.6 4.8 Mean Satisfaction with accommodation types

Quality, availability and maintenance of facilities

4.2 Hotel/Resort 4.1 3.9 Self Catering/Rented accommodation 4.0 4.4 Holiday home/Homestay 4.1 3.4 Backpackers/Budget/Hostels 3.5 3.9 Guest houses/B&Bs/AirBnB 4.0 Upolu Only 4.0 Savai'i Fales 4.1 4.5 Village homestay 4.4 4.3 Other 4.1

3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5

Mean Satisfaction with accommodation types

Overall value for money

4.1 Hotel/Resort 4.1 4.3 Self Catering/Rented accommodation 4.3 4.5 Holiday home/Homestay 4.3 3.6 Backpackers/Budget/Hostels 4.2 4.1 Guest houses/B&Bs/AirBnB 4.2 Upolu Only 4.2 Savai'i Fales 4.3 4.5 Village homestay 4.4 4.2 Other 4.2

3.5 3.7 3.9 4.1 4.3 4.5 4.7

Mean

How did you find out about Samoa?

Friends/family 50 56 Previous visit 28 32 Work colleagues/workplace information 12 19 Travel agent/agency brochures 11 14 Web search engines (e.g. Google) 1214 Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc) 11 16 11 General travel websites (e.g. TripAdvisor, Trivago) 12 Upolu Only The official Samoa travel website (Samoa.travel) 7 9 Savai'i Television or radio programmes 56 Magazine and newspaper articles 56 Travel books (e.g. Lonely Planet) 4 8 Other 13 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Share of Visitors (%) Influential factors in your choice to visit Samoa

Warm and sunny weather 3.94.0 Quiet and relaxing atmosphere 3.9 4.1 Friendly people 3.94.0 A safe place 3.73.8 Beaches and swimming 3.6 3.9 Culture and history 3.6 3.9 Natural attractions/eco- tourism/photography 3.6 3.9 3.4 Affordability 3.5 Upolu Only 3.4 Easy to access 3.4 Savai'i Cuisine 3.03.1 Friends and family in Samoa 3.03.0 Snorkelling and diving 2.8 3.2 Attending an event 2.2 2.4 Business or conference 1.7 2.2 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5 Mean Importance of information sources

3.5 Friends/family 3.6 3.3 Web search engines (e.g. Google) 3.4 3.0 Previous visits 2.9 2.9 General travel websites (e.g. TripAdvisor, Trivago) 3.1 2.7 Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc) 2.9 2.7 The official Samoa travel website (Samoa.travel) 2.8 Upolu Only 2.6 Travel agent/travel brochures 2.4 Savai'i 2.5 Work colleagues 2.2 2.1 Travel books (e.g. Lonely Planet) 2.2 2.1 Magazine and newspaper articles 2.0 2.0 Television or radio programmes 1.9

1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Mean How did you purchase your travel?

49 I made my own travel bookings using the Internet 61

31 Travel bookings were made through a travel agent 24

Travel bookings were made by others (business, 14 friends, relatives) 8

Travel bookings were made by a mix of travel agent 7 and online bookings 7

0 20 40 60 Share of Visitors (%) Upolu Only Savai'i

Prepaid Expenditure

30 Per person prior to arrival

24 Upolu Only SAT $2391 (NZ $1,335) 25 23 Savai’i SAT $2564 (NZ $1,432) 21 20 19 16 15 15 15 14

10 10 9 Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share 8 6 5 5 4 3 3 2 1 0 $1-499 $500-999 $1000-1499 $1500-1999 $2000-2499 $2500-2999 $3000-3499 $3500-3999 $4000 or more Upolu Only Savai'i Prepaid Items

Accommodation 81 81

Breakfast or meals 45 39

Domestic transport/transfers 38 41 Upolu Only Savai'i Tours 7 13

Other 5 4

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Share of Visitors (%)

*Multiple responses, therefore total does not add up to 100%. In-Country Expenditure Per Person Per Day

Expenditure Items Upolu Only (SAT$) Savai'i (SAT$)

Accommodation 46 41 Restaurants cafes & bars 36 27 Vehicle rental 17 20 Petrol 6 6 Bus/taxi 3 2 Ferry 0 4 Per person per day while in: Groceries 14 13 Upolu Only SAT $168 (NZ $94) Shopping 16 13 Tours/activities 7 7 Savai’i SAT $151 (NZ $84) Donations 12 14 Internet/telecommunication 3 3 Other 8 4

Total Expenditure 168 151 Spending

Upolu Only Savai’i

Average spend per person prior to arrival flowing back to Samoa SAT$1,315/NZ$734 SAT$1,410/NZ$788

Average spend in country per person SAT$168/NZ$94 SAT$151/NZ$84 per day

Average length of stay in Samoa (nights) 7.5 10.9

TOTAL SPEND PER VISIT FLOWING BACK TO LOCAL ECONOMY SAT$2,575/NZ$1439 SAT$3,056/NZ$1704

Overall satisfaction

60 56 53 50

40 32 30 30

Share of Visitors (%) of Visitors Share 20

10 11 10 3 3 2 1 0 Very dissatisfied (1) 2 3 4 Very satisfied (5) Upolu Only Savai'i Water-based Activities

Degree of Participation Degree of Satisfaction

Visiting the beach 80 93 Visiting the beach 4.54.6 Swimming 78 91 Swimming 4.54.6 Snorkelling 45 58 Snorkelling 4.14.2 Kayaking/canoeing 2932 Kayaking/canoeing 4.14.3 Swimming with turtles 20 47 Swimming with turtles 3.7 4.2 Paddle Boarding 1618 Paddle Boarding 3.8 4.0 Fishing 1516 Fishing 3.7 4.1 Diving 1517 Diving 3.7 4.1 Sailing/cruising 1116 Sailing / cruising 3.6 4.1 Surfing 810 Surfing 3.3 3.7 Water skiing 89 Water skiing 3.3 3.7 Whale watching 79 Whale watching 3.23.3 0 50 100 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 Share of Visitors (%) Mean Upolu Only Savai'i Upolu Only Savai'i Cultural Interactions

Degree of Participation Degree of Satisfaction

82 4.0 Local markets 91 Local markets 4.1 61 4.5 Visiting a village 78 Visiting a village 4.6 58 4.5 Island night feast and show 61 Island night feast and show 4.6 49 4.5 Dance/language/art/cooking classes 58 Dance/language/art/cooking classes 4.6 49 4.4 Island celebrations or events 57 Island celebrations or events 4.5 43 4.5 Cultural events/festivals 51 Cultural events/festivals 4.5 42 4.6 Attending church 50 Attending church 4.6 41 4.6 Umu 53 Umu 4.7 36 4.3 Museum visits 41 Museum visits 4.3

0 50 100 4.0 4.5 5.0 Share of Visitors (%) Mean Upolu Only Savai'i Upolu Only Savai'i Land-based Activities

Degree of Participation Degree of Satisfaction

91 Restaurants, bars and cafes 4.2 Restaurants, bars and cafes 93 4.1 74 Sightseeing 4.5 Sightseeing 86 4.6 34 4.3 Cultural tours 39 Cultural tours 4.4 32 4.2 Spa/beauty 28 Spa/beauty 4.2 26 4.2 Hiking and trekking 38 Hiking and trekking 4.2 16 3.9 Conservation/animal sanctuary 25 Conservation/animal sanctuary 3.9 15 4.0 Bird watching 18 Bird watching 4.1 Golf 10 3.8 8 Golf 3.6 Cycling 10 3.6 11 Cycling 4.0

0 50 100 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 Share of Visitors (%) Mean Upolu Only Savai'i Upolu Only Savai'i Shopping

Degree of Participation Degree of Satisfaction

Local clothing e.g local lava lava 71 Local clothing e.g local lava lava 4.2 (sarong) etc. 76 (sarong) etc. 4.4

66 Local produce e.g coconut oil etc. Local produce e.g coconut oil etc. 4.4 77 4.5

64 Local crafts Local crafts 4.2 71 4.3

59 Local music Local music 4.4 63 4.5

54 Local arts Local arts 4.1 61 4.2

0 20 40 60 80 100 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 Share of Visitors (%) Mean Upolu Only Savai'i Upolu Only Savai'i Satisfaction with Samoa

4.6 The friendliness of the people in Samoa 4.6 4.4 Airport arrival/departure experience 4.4 4.2 Variety of things to see and do 4.4 4.2 The overall level of service in Samoa 4.2 4.2 The experience of using public transport 4.1 4.1 The information that was available when planning this trip 4.1 4.1 The experience of renting a vehicle 4.0 4.1 Value for money 4.1 4.0 The information that was available while in Samoa 4.0 3.7 General shopping opportunities 3.7 3.6 Internet and phone availability, cost and coverage 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.9 4.1 4.3 4.5 4.7 Mean Upolu Only Savai'i Most Appealing Aspects*

Environment 42 46 Local people 40 42 Activities, attractions and entertainment, events 1618 Culture 14 Ambience and atmosphere 1213 Food and beverage 89 Accommodation 78 Customer Service 35 Reconnecting with ‘own’ Samoan culture 45 Affordable, accessible and effortless 4 4 Upolu Only Not overly commercialised and unspoiled 3 5 Savai'i New developments 33 Infrastructure, public service and facilities 2 4 Overall good experience 2 Safety 1 Emotional connection 1 Nothing 1 Savai'i 6 0 10 20 30 40 50 Note: Multiple responses, therefore total does not add up to 100%. Share of Visitors (%) *: Survey data thus unweighted. Most Appealing Aspects

. How beautiful Savai’i is & how much has changed in both islands since my last visit.

. Savai’i Island and its beauty, Siufaga beach has the best colour and view.

. Beautiful family and village gardens. Rubbish stand in Savai’i were much better this time.

. The weather, friendly people, nature. The villages on Savai’i were spectacular with their flags and colours. Rubbish stands wee also very tidy compared to previous times.

. The natural features on southern Upolu, and the artists' retreat on the pass over from Apia, where they do great coffee and food.

. Natural attractions, gardens in Upolu and friendliness of locals.

. Variety of snorkelling opportunities on Upolu. Least Appealing Aspects*

Infrastructure, public services and facilities 2222 Rubbish and natural environment 9 15 Food and beverage 99 Social issues 67 Stray animals and mosquitos 66 Cost of goods and services 67 Shopping experience 3 5 Bad weather 3 5 Customer service 5 6 Attractions and activities 5 7 Accommodation 4 5 Apia 3 4 Upolu Only Airport and arriving and departing 2 3 Local people 33 Savai'i Safety 33 Rental cars or scooters 2 Feeling unwelcome and exploited 2 3 Lack of information 22 Others 11 Taxi 1 1 Beach access 1 Too touristy or commercial 1 0 5 10 15 20 25 Note: Multiple responses, therefore total does not add up to 100%. Share of Visitors (%) *: Survey data thus unweighted. Least Appealing Aspects

Comments - Upolu Only

. Upolu the rubbish around market area.

. Public was not so friendly and never really felt as safe, customer service all around Upolu wasn’t so friendly as well.

. The unwell dogs running around on Upolu.

. I would have to say the roads in Upolu, horrific there were so many pot holes specially heading towards outback Lefaga way. government really need to spend more on fixing the roads to avoid flat tyres as well as crashes. Least Appealing Aspects

Comments – Savai’i

. We booked a trip to Savai’i but when we got to ferry terminal it was cancelled due to the weather, perhaps the tour operators could have checked that before leaving town.

. The lack of fish in Savai’i and the fact that you have to pay certain villages if you want to swim in their beach.

. The poverty was appalling, especially in Savai’i. Improvements*

Infrastructure, public services and facilities 3536 Customer service 1414 Food and drinks 11 14 Accommodation 89 Information 8 10 A longer stay or to visit more places 5 8 Activities and attractions 89 Rubbish and natural environment 6 9 Overcharging and harassing visitors 4 6 Car rentals 34 Stray animals, mosquito and animal care 33 Upolu Only Airport facilities and services 34 Savai'i Flight related issues 23 Social issues 23 Saftey 1 3 Weather 11 Banking 1 Keep culture authentic 1 Others 1 Tourism development 1 0 10 20 30 40 Note: Multiple responses, therefore total does not add up to 100%. Share of Visitors (%) *: Survey data thus unweighted. Improvement

Comments - Upolu Only . Travelling between Savai’i and Upolu on the ferries is a health and safety issue. It would be much safer if all the transport can wait until all the passengers are safe on the wharf. Also it is best to review the safety of people with disabilities and old people who are travelling on the ferry. These people need to make their way first when the ferry arrives at its destination.

. Roads in Upolu have too many pot holes and trying to avoid them can be a potential hazard or accident waiting to happen.

. Better roads and shopping opportunities on the south of Upolu.

. Put at least one gas station and ATM on the southern side of Upolu. Improvement

Comments – Savai’i . The Ferry availability to Savai’i be more throughout the day for at least 2 days of the week.

. Transport between Savai’i and Upolu.

. More options to eat on Savai'i and an island night (none available when we were there).

. Also make sure sites are clear of rubbish also for e.g. a tourist site in Savai'i was littered with rubbish.

. Public toilets in the market area both in Apia and Savaii needed maintenance for a tourist attraction. Future intentions

Return Recommendation

Upolu Upolu 91% would return 95% would recommend Only Only

Savai’i 91% would return Savai’i 96% would recommend Thank You!

Team Leader: Simon Milne Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.nztri.org/ Key contributions: Mindy Sun, Jin Yi