By Aeo‘ainuu Aleki
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (February 1, 2001 - PINA Nius Online)---New South Pacific Tourism Organization chief executive Lisati ‘Akolo says more Pacific Islanders are needed as owners of tourism businesses.
"Tourism in the Pacific needs to be infused with capital assistance to enable indigenous operators to join up with suitable joint ventures from off-island," ‘Akolo said during a visit to American Samoa.
"The off-island joint-venture partners. . . are needed," he said, "because of the low financing available in practically all of SPTO's member nations, including American Samoa.
"In fact, the most developed tourist partners in the group, Fiji and Tahiti, have their tourist industries dominated by expatriates from off-island, but the local tourist business picture is bleak," he said.
‘Akolo, a Tongan, met with Commerce director Ali‘imau "JR" Scanlan, Commerce's Tourism Division manager Virginia Samuelu and her staffers, and a...