Airport is the catalyst for economic growth

Dear Editor,

Re: Samoa’s $140m 

international gateway 

 

I keep seeing this argument and it is laughable. 

Hawaii has freeways, a massive naval base, 60 storey hotels, one million people.

Samoa will never be like Hawaii unless you start seeing 60 storey hotel strip in Lalomanu. That just won’t happen. 

It hasn’t even happened in Fiji and Fiji has one of the largest tourism industries in the pacific.

I also want to point out a couple of things:

1. Virgin Australia still has landing rights in Faleolo (from Sydney and Brisbane; just not Auckland).

2. The economic effect of this airport is not measured in just flights arriving; although there will be more flights arriving and delivering more visitors. It is measured in the growth of the tourism industry. 

All the extra flights coming into Samoa through this expanded airport bring in more people staying in the hotels; motels; beach fales. 

They bring in more people using rental cars; taxis; restaurants; and shopping in the markets. 

The airport is the economic catalyst for the wider economy.

 

P.S. Jeffrey

Samoa Observer

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