The Samoan Government has announced an official date for Samoa to reopen its borders to international travellers.
In an announcement overnight, Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa has confirmed Samoa will welcome international travellers into the country from 1 August 2022.
For Samoa’s border reopening, a series of developments and new processes have been put into place to ensure Samoa is ready for international arrivals.
The Samoan Government said that it is prioritising health and safety and is implementing a digital contact tracing app, training and upskilling for local employees, and has upgraded travel instructions and bolstered testing capabilities.
Samoa Tourism Authority’s acting CEO, Pativaine Petaia-Tevita, said the tourism and hospitality industry is excited to get Samoa back on the radar as a must-visit destination, particularly as worldwide travel restrictions continue to ease and traveller confidence grows.
“As international travel begins to take shape again, Samoa has been striving to ensure critical components of our travel-ready toolkit are in place. All of these efforts ensure we are in a top position to safely open borders to travellers,” she said.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors with open arms later this year, and we encourage travellers to experience Samoa’s untouched beauty, unique cultural experiences, rich heritage and friendly locals for themselves.”
The Samoan government said that vaccination rates have been critical in the decision to reopen.
The most recent data shows that almost 93 per cent of Samoa’s population aged 18 and over has been fully vaccinated.
Samoa joins several other countries that have recently opened their borders and dropped travel requirements.
Japan and Thailand will both drop testing requirements from the start of next month.
New Caledonia, Tahiti, and Indonesia all recently removed pre-departure testing requirements. Thailand and Singapore dropped its testing requirements late last month and Fiji dropped it early this month.
