Taufua Sili Apelu would love to see his regular New Zealand guests returning to his beach fale accommodation on Upolu s stunning southcoast at Lalomanu.
It s been a tough few years for Taufua Beach Fales - tourism took a hit with the measles epidemic in late 2019 before being finished off by covid the following year.
There is no domestic market for their once flourishing business.
But he doesn t want the borders open if there is a risk to people s health. Just look at the example in Fiji. This thing is destroying like crazy given the small population, and Samoa has an even smaller one, observed Taufua.
The Sinalei resort which has been shuttered until the re-opening of borders.
Photo: Dominic Godfrey / RNZ Pacific
While the tragedy of the measles epidemic of 2019 prepared the country to act fast and avert another health crisis, it couldn t prepare them for an economic one.
A year into the pandemic and Samoa is one of a handful of countries to remain free of community transmission of the coronavirus.
It was also one of the first countries to close its borders which helped prevent Covid-19 s entry according to the country s Director General of Health, Leausa Dr Take Naseri, who said, with grief from the measles epidemic still fresh, the whole country rallied.