ASVB holds a successful “Experience, Explore, Enjoy, Exhibit Show” as part of Mosooi festivities

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Visitors Bureau (ASVB) for the 2023 October Mosooi Festivities this week, held  an “Experience, Explore, Enjoy, Exhibit Show”on Tuesday and Wednesday, at the Gov. H. Rex Lee Auditorium at Utulei.

ASVB Executive Director, Taimalelagi Minnie Tuia, excitedly told Samoa News it was like a Trade and Exhibition show.

It was a part of the 2023 Mosooi Festival of Arts and Humanities that included events hosted and coordinated by ABLE, the Agency for Better Living Endeavors last weekend.

“Under the spirit of Mosooi, the ASVB conducted an “Experience, Explore, Enjoy, Exhibit Show”. That is what we had on Tuesday and Wednesday.”

Taimalelagi said the Visitors Bureau did the “Explore your island, your home, American Samoa”.

They believe there are people here who haven’t visited different parts of the island, so they conducted bus tours on Tuesday and Wednesday to the East side and to the Western end of Tutuila.

The bus tours turned out to be an experience for several many of the passengers. ASVB advertised these tours for several weeks, for riders to go around the island of Tutuila. 

Taimalelagi said, “On Wednesday, they had a bus that went to Vatia, and several of them who have lived here for 30, 40, 50 years had never been to these places — so they went and enjoyed it.”

There is also a tour to the Manu’a tele, which was supposed to be today, Friday, Oct. 6th, but it’s been pushed back to Monday next week.

The director of ASVB said that the Manu’a tour is already full, and they are planning  to go around the islands of Manu'atele and back to Pago.

Of the Trade and Exhibition event that took place on Wednesday at the fale laumei, she said, “It  was an amazing display of Samoan food that included the popular faausi from Aunuu, (taro bread in roasted carmelized coconut cream) coconut crab ‚ not to taste but to look at — and the amaama from Manu’a, as well as the rice in coconut cream with koko Samoa.”

ASVB also had as a part of their event, different Ideas for businesses, such as bike rentals, water sports activities, hiking activities, and there were products on display for some of the ideas.

Some people came in and were interested in starting something, so there was also that service at hand. 

“And giving them the possible source of funding was TBAS, and the Development Bank was here also to promote micro loans that are available for Cottage Industries.

“The Department of Commerce (DOC) was also in the house for licensing, the National Park, DMWR, NOAA, Land Grant and others who were talking about this industry, as Tourism is everybody’s business.”

She said, “It’s a different type of Mosooi festival for ASVB — like a Trade show and Expo where they have their businesses and are different.

“It’s been a good response as well with some restaurants here with their Samoan Speciality.  We are trying to promote our local vendors.”

This week was a good exposure for the small vendors, as ASVB can now promote to the community on where to get their supoesi (ripe pawpaw soup), vaisalo (young coconut soup),  poifa’i, koko Samoa, etc.

“ASVB promotes these so we can continue to preserve our food [culture],” Taimalelagi said.

 ASVB also held a plastic training three weeks ago where they started with a three-day training workshop and ended up with a whole week.

The trainer was from Fiji and was making different jewelry and home decorations from empty plastic water bottles, empty detergent containers, ice cream containers. All and were being sold.

ASVB’s Deputy Director Sandra Fuimaono Lutu spoke about their concern over the land transport for tourists that involves buses and taxis.

“One of the things that we’ve experienced with the cruise ships that have started to come in this year is a lot of positive information about their experience.

“We had a great time on a tour, riding a bus, riding a taxi,  but every now and then we’d get some concerns.”

One of the concerns, is that drivers do not speak English. Lutu said ASVB is willing to help out those drivers who don’t speak English.

Also, “What we’ve noticed as well, is someone that just drove by and maybe saw this cruise ship , and just showed up at the gate, wanting to get passengers, and wasn't dressed for it.

She pointed out that we have a culture that embraces and takes care of our visitors. Some ask for an AC taxi, and when they come back , the AC was never turned on.

And then there are the taxi rates.

She said the rates that are set for the taxis are from 2012 so with expenses and cost of living going up it's been very difficult for them at the same time to maintain a rate as that’s their business, they are trying to survive.

But that doesn’t give them the right to increase the fare on tourists, she said. “Most visitors are satisfied with local transport, but there are few complaints.”

ASVB had met up with 9 commercial drivers Thursday morning, from five different taxi stands and also shared their concerns about the fares.

However they have been advised to see the right department with a proposal and they also need an opinion from their faipule to look at the law.

“Taxi drivers want to set a standard for their industry.

“I suggested that we leave that with them and come back on how we (ASVB) can help them, and reach a standard that best reflects American Samoa.”

According to Ms Lutu, there are 191 licensed taxi and buses and the buses have recently been given an increase on fares, but not the taxis. Their last raise in fares was was in 2012.