An American Samoa Visitors Bureau board member says there've been positive strides in putting the territory on the tourist map, but the gains will remain minimal unless more money goes into promotion
Derek Webb says the present budget for tourism promotion is far from adequate.
Mr Webb, who was general manager of the Tradewinds Hotel in American Samoa and is taking on a similar role in Vanuatu, says unless the government pours money into tourism, the territory will not be able to compete with its neighbors.
"It's very difficult when you've got ten shows to choose from a year and you have to decide that we can only afford to go to two when all of our competitors are going to the whole ten, and look 70 to 80 thousand tourists in [neighbouring] Samoa and we'd be lucky to get seven. And I don't even believe that the seven not people coming back to visit family."
