The Goat Island Conference Room was packed with business people, lawmakers, government employees and interested members of the public who turned out to hear tourism consultant Carmel Beattie’s report on how the territory can make a lot more money and expand its economy from tourism. 
Beattie was commissioned by the Board of Directors of the American Samoa Visitors Bureau last year to map up a workable strategy to entice visitors to the territory, recommend ways to engage local ownership in the industry and develop activities and products for tourists.
Her report was comprehensive and well presented and Ms Beattie held her audience’s attention for more than an hour and a half.
According to Beattie, an American Samoa Tourism Master Plan that was developed in 2010 was salvageable, but it must be made more realistic in terms of funding and achievable goals.
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Actual number of visitors last year is 19,000, of which 52 percent were Visiting Friends and Relatives according to South Pacific Tourism Organization figures.
Ms. Beattie said there was a disconnect in what the ASVB sees as its role and the expectations of the industry.
She said other tourism offices are designated as the destination management organization responsible for product development, marketing, training of industry and monitoring of local products.
The ASVB holds that this is not their purview and Beattie said this needs to change.
