Apia looks forward to 2 weeks of wealth

Cherelle Jackson
When one thinks of a gold mine, IMAGES OF money, gold and wealth come to mind. The looming South Pacific Games (SPG) is the gold rush Samoa has been waiting for, for a long time.

Weightlifting venue.... Samoa has invested heavily in the preparation of the games.

As businesses and government ministries roundup their preparations for the influx of tourists, athletes, officials and local population, the general focus is on two weeks of immediate wealth.

Shops, restaurants, hotels, car rentals and other services have been established in the last year alone in preparation for what some have termed as the gold rush of the decade.

More than ten hotels were opened in the last six months alone in anticipation of the games.

The Samoa Hotel Association has confirmed that most of the hotels in the town area have been booked out.

Car rental companies are already taking in bookings for the two-week period and nightclubs are sprucing up their venues getting them ready to take advantage of the many visitors and athletes who will be converging in Apia for the games.

The main bridges of Upolu have been extended and widened to assist in the flow of traffic to and from the Tuanaimato Complex where most of the events will be held.

All SPG facilities have been officially opened and ready for use which include the Chinese-made indoor swimming pools, perhaps the most elaborate of the SPG structures to date.

Facilities for weightlifting, boxing, golf, volleyball, basketball, hockey, squash, bowling, wrestling, sailing, rugby, tennis, archery, shooting and many more are also ready.

All Samoa needs now are the athletes and the money that comes with the games.

Already Samoa has invested heavily in preparing for the games—both financially and in human resources.

In his budget address back in May, Minister of Finance Niko Lee Hang pointed out the increase in overall expenditure for Samoa which “reflects the government’s commitment to ensure the 2007 SPG will be a successful and memorable event”.

SPG merchandise...for sale. Pics: Cherelle Jackson

But not all is smooth for the SPG gold rush. Government workers are working overtime to ensure the roads are ready for the games including car parks, road signs and the appropriate road marks.

Some facilities are faulty, according to local builders and architects. During the Samoa Games, when SPG facilities were put on a test run, some were not up to standard.

“The squash courts floor was slippery and was flooding,” said one athlete.

According to inside sources, the builders used a floor varnish which caused it to be slippery and the floors were flooded when it rained.

But this hiccup pales in comparison to the beach volleyball courts which were built facing the wrong direction.

“Because it is facing the wrong way, one team will have to face the sun and this is internationally unacceptable in any volleyball competition,” said an athlete, who did not want to be named.

Inside sources also say the sand used in the same volleyball courts had the “wrong texture”, and the local team refused to use it for practice anymore.

So will the SPG be the gold mine for Samoa?

The swimming venue... the most elaborate of the SPG structures.

Perhaps yes, according to travel agent Jody Becerra. She says SPG is the “trigger” to further tourism development for Samoa. This is what Samoa has been waiting for,” she said.

“For a long time the airlines justified the lack of direct flights to Samoa to the low number of rooms and accommodation, but not anymore,” Becerra says.

But is the gold rush worth it in the long run? Will restaurants, hotels, businesses and SPG facilities sustain themselves after the two-week gold rush?

When athletes and officials return to their respective countries, can Samoa afford to maintain the multimillion-dollar facilities funded by foreign governments?

Some facilities will need at least ST$100,00 annually for maintenance.

Although tourism earnings have gone up, only a few hotels have consistent occupancy rates throughout the year, according to local tourism workers, which means many rooms may remain empty long after the SPG is over.

Many say that Samoa is not prepared for SPG, and to an extent they are right. Local papers are still bombarded with advertisements for tender of service contracts for the games, roads are still under construction and some facilities are still being brushed up.

But in true Samoan-style, everything will be ready come the South Pacific Games.