Enhancing Tourism Climate Resilience

Samoa Tourism Authority recently hosted consultations on Upolu and Savaii to engage key stakeholders on the findings of the review of the National Tourism Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Samoa (NTCCASS) 2012-2017 and progress the development of the updated Strategy for 2021-2025.

The review was undertaken with the assistance of US Aid, to assess the effectiveness of the Strategy and provide broad recommendations for developing the revised NTCCASS (2021-2025).

As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Samoa is vulnerable to natural disasters and external shocks due to its geographical location, isolation, limited resources, and exposure to global economic crisis. 

Climate change exacerbates the challenges Samoa faces in achieving sustainable development goals and the NTCCASS was developed to guide the tourism sector to be climate and disaster resilient, strengthen human capacity, raise awareness and support the development of sustainable financing mechanisms to facilitate tourism climate change adaptation actions nationwide.

The consultations therefore provided a valuable platform for key stakeholders to understand the findings of the review and capture perspectives to inform the development of the next five-year strategy.

The assessment was conducted through a policy and framework review, stakeholder consultations, best practice analysis and synthesis of findings to rate the key objectives for their effectiveness.

The forums highlighted some of the key achievements and short-comings of the NTCCASS together with key immediate, short and medium term recommendations for attention and commitment in the next strategy period. 

These revolve around the sector’s needs and priorities for climate actions, engagement and partnerships with defined tourism development areas and stakeholders, capacity audit, resourcing and standards for climate change and disaster resilience.