15 Oct 2007

Samoas to hold joint trade fair amid push for tourism growth

4:10 pm on 15 October 2007

The President of the Samoa Association of Exporters and Manufacturers Papalii Grant Percival is to make preparations for a joint Samoa Trade Exhibition in American Samoa next month.

More than 30 companies will take part in the trade fair scheduled for November the 7th and 8th at the Tradewinds Hotel.

The last Samoa trade fair was held two years ago.

Papalii says in addition to promoting Samoa made products, the exhibition will also focus on tourism.

"There'll be people bringing their clothing and artefacts over as well as manufacturers. We're also coming with the Samoa Hotel Association and we're also trying to convince a few other bodies to come over with us. The growth of tourism over there has been very good over the last 12 months, and I must admit the South Pacific Games did help the numbers, but recently we are now number 2 in the Pacific and we just overtook Tahiti."

Papalii says they are looking for more opportunities to try to market the two countries as a tourist destination.