By Jill Varley

The Samoa Tourism Authority launched a new website and heralded a new route from Brisbane to the Samoan capital of Apia by the year’s end at a Sydney function held this week.

Staged at The Menzies hotel, the event was attended by Samoan Deputy Prime Minister, Misa Telefoni; Samoa Tourism Authority CEO, Sonja Hunter; members of board, the head office management team and members of the Samoa Hotel Association.

Addressing the gathering of travel industry members, Hunter said the new website — an on-line version of their new brochure — was necessary as most of the bookings they receive are online. “Many of our properties are not computer savvy so we have had a lot of work to do,” she said.

Telefoni described the new website and the likelihood of a new Brisbane route as “a great day for Samoa”.

He compared it to the October 2005 joint venture between Virgin Blue and the Government of Samoa that saw Polynesian Blue fly direct from Sydney to Apia three times a week.