Independent State of Samoa

Disgusting Toilets Bad for Tourism

The Samoan government has decided to create a special committee in order to control that public toilets are clean enough so that they do not disgust tourists. Even though this may sound as a crazy government measure, it is important for Samoa to maintain a high level of tourism; therefore tourist have to enjoy their experience, spend money and come back. The Prime Minister has also decided that they will unify the rating system of hotels, so that there is a minimum quality of service and installations; and they will pass a casino bill, so that tourist can gamble in Samoa instead of going to other islands nearby, such as Vanuatu. This measure pretends not only to retain a high level of tourists, but also to be sure that the young have jobs and that the island can maintain the income it perceives from this sector.

There are many countries that rely on tourism as a main sector for income, as it is the case of Samoa. It is necessary to protect this sector to ensure that tourists are going to visit the country. In this sense, I think that the committee formed by the Samoan government to make sure that all the public services work properly and that everything is attractive is a good initiative. It made me think of Spain as a touristic place, and how Spanish have to maintain the good condition of public spaces to favor tourism. In addition to that, I agree with the Prime Minister that solving many of these problems will also help to revamp the image of Samoa. It will have a clear repercussion on society as many jobs will be created and more money will flow into the economy.