The president of Samoa's Hotel Association is reassuring boutique accommodation owners it will still be business as usual when a planned international casino resort by Chinese investors is built.
Some small business owners are unhappy that they will be competing for the tourist dollar and to keep staff, after the government approved the bid by a Chinese consortium to build a 500-room casino resort on Upolu's south coast.
But Tuala Oli Ah Him says catering for top end mass tourist clientele will be a welcome boost for tourism in the rural area.
He says other smaller accommodation and family run businesses don't have anything to worry about, as they will cater for a different type of visitor.
"Another 500 rooms will definitely benefit, and it will actually add on to the number of room we have. So definitely these guys will be after the high rollers, you know the big top dollars tourists, so the little operators will definitely not be affected."
The president of Samoa's Hotel Association, Tuala Oli Ah Him
