STA enhances resilience of tourism-reliant communities to climate change risks

Samoa Tourism Authority staff and members of the Tourism Industry during training for the use of kayaks in Manono Island.

Some of the most vulnerabe tourist operators have benefited from assistance for resilient efforts towards the effects and risks of Climate Change.

The Samoa Tourism Authority (STA) in collaboration with the Integrating Climate Change Risks into Tourism Sector (ICCRITS) facilitated training on adaptation to climate change for some of the small scale tourism operators.

With funding provided by ICCRITS for kayaking equipment and training through the Small Grants Scheme, three selected businesses of tourism operators now have the capacity to support new revenue streams needed to respond to the effects of climate change.

The three beneficiaries are the Sweet Escape Fales at Manono Island, Sunset View Fales also at Manono Islands, and Joelan Beach Fales at Lano in Savai’i Island.

The STA team through its Climate Change project and members of its Planning and Development Division facilitated the assistance.

With any small business, the raising of capital funds for new projects is always a struggle. The Small Grants Scheme provided by the ICCRITS project has taken away that pressure and has provide all three locations with the opportunity to create and run their small-scale tours at 100% profit without the need to pay off loans for equipment.

Each location received new assets to the value of over SAT$15,000.

They each have 4 single and 1 double kayaks, a total of six seats each and relevant safety equipment to hire out over the course of the year.

All equipments were delivered and each site received 4 single kayaks, 1 double kayak, 10 paddles, 6 deluxe kayak sets, 10 life jackets various sizes, 10 safety whistles with compass, 2 safety tow ropes 1 dry bag, 1 mobile phone dry bag and 1 first responder first aid kit.

Kayak Training and Safety were provided for both practical and off water theory for around 10 participants within a week where all participants completed the course in a satisfactory manner and completed the tour scenario as required.

Equipments presented by STA’s Manager for Climate Change Project, Isamaeli Time to representatives of Sweet Escape Fales in Manono Island and Joelan Beach Fales at Lano in Savai’i Island.