SAMOA’S visitor arrivals dropped in September but rose overall as the country continued seek new business from Australia and New Zealand.
There were 15,791 visitors in September compared to 17,510 in August – a decline of 10.8 per cent.
But, compared to the same month in 2024, there was a year-on-year increase of 8.6 per cent on the back of improved marketing strategies.
Throughout the reporting period, total visitor numbers reached 131,493 compared to the previous year’s total of 129,108 visitors, a growth of 1.8 per cent.
Average spending by visitors rose remarkably by 8.3 per cent to $ST3696, up from $ST3542 the previous year.
Holiday travelers remained the top-performing segment, witnessing a 20.8 per cent growth from 50,907 to 61,501. This segment now holds the largest market share
The Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) segment grew by 14.3 per cent, an indication that strong personal connections drive traffic to Samoa.
However, the Business and Sports visitor segments experienced declines of 4.5 and 33.3 per cent respectively.
Samoa Tourism said these declines provided clearer insights into visitor purposes, allowing the industry to make informed decisions for future marketing initiatives.
New Zealand continued to be the largest source market, contributing 48 per cent of total visitors, with numbers increasing by 12.4 pc, rising from 55,850 to 62,751.
Australian visitors declined by 1.7pc. The USA and American Samoa markets noted declines of 1.5pc and 30.3pc respectively.