NEW VISITOR’S GUIDE FOR AMERICAN SAMOA

The American Samoa Visitors’ Bureau has produced its first full visitor guide booklet for tourists to American Samoa which will be provided to the more than 1,000 passengers and crew arriving Monday onboard the cruise ship “Regatta”.

The 40-page booklet provides general information on American Samoa's islands including maps of Tutuila & Aunu'u, Manu'a, Swains Island & Rose Atoll, the National Park of American Samoa, Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary and an Utulei & Fagatogo Town Area Map.

Also featured is the Samoan culture with a Language & Pronunciation Guide and the American Samoa Historic Preservation Office.

In the last section of the guide, 'Enjoy your Holiday' provides information on where to stay and dine out, a Shopping Guide and a list of 25 things to do while in American Samoa.

The printing of the visitor’s guide was made possible by funding from the American Samoa Economic Recovery & Stimulus Office through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding and with editorial assistance by the National Park Service of American Samoa, said David Vaeafe, executive director of the Visitor’s Bureau.

Tourists can pick up copies of the guide from the Visitor’s Bureau office in Ottoville and from hotels and car rental companies on island.

As for the ‘Regatta’, it is due to arrive around 8am from Bora Bora, French Polynesia and departs at around 6pm heading for Suva, Fiji. This is the first cruise ship of the year. The Visitor’s Bureau in conjunction with Port Administration will have a marketplace set up on the Port with vendors selling local souvenirs and handicrafts.

TAC FINAL MEETING ON TSUNAMI PROJECT SET JAN. 25

In a Jan. 12 memorandum, Gov. Togiola Tulafono invited his cabinet to attend the final meeting of the Tsunami Advisory Council (TAC), a private-public entity charged with the American Samoa Tsunami Study project.

The meeting set for Jan. 25 at 8am at the U.S. Army Reserve in Tafuna, “will provide information on the final review of recommendations for building natural hazard resilience to tsunami events,” said Togiola.

Through a venture between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and ASG, this meeting “will outline a comprehensive presentation of findings and recommendations made by the TAC and implementing strategy,” he said.

Togiola informed cabinet members that this TAC final meeting is important “in order to gain awareness on the resiliency efforts and to provide feedback that may be significant to final reporting and implementation strategy.”

Meanwhile, team members from the Army Corps of Engineers and Herbert Fee and Planners company arrived Thursday night from Honolulu to conduct the remaining activities and preparations for the final TAC meeting.

Yesterday the TAC and the off-island team met at the Army Reserve to discuss the final recommendations and seek TAC feedback on their reports.