The White Sunday long weekend has kept the Taumeasina Island Resort staff busy with guests travelling in from as far as Savai’i.

Despite the challenges that came with the state of emergency [S.O.E.] lockdown, it was business as usual for the Taumeasina Island Resort General Manager Tuitaga Nathan Bucknall and his workers.

"There's a lot of kids around and it's good to see a lot of families have come around over the weekend, Savaii and everywhere and so it's really good," he said in an interview with the Samoa Observer."It's nice for us to have something nice to do and we're very happy that our local guests have supported us but it's not something new for us.

"We've worked really well with the local markets for quite some time and we've been before lockdown and so a lot of the families have come and stayed here."

And due to the cheap rates on offer, Tuiataga said their guests have been the same families who booked with them through the lockdown, White Sunday as well as the Fathers’ and Mother’s Day events. 

Asked how business is going, Tuiataga said it mainly gets busier on the long weekends like White Sunday.

"It's always long weekends that people love to come out and have time to enjoy, especially out in the ocean," he said.

"We don't allow people to just come for the pools, it's good on weekends, Fridays and Saturdays. Normally Mondays it's the days where nothing happens."

Prior to the S.O.E. lockdown, Taumesina operated 24 hours and seven days a week, but today it is a Friday and Saturday business, added Tuiataga.

One of the families, who was enjoying the hospitality that the resort had to offer over the long weekend, were from Tafagamanu in Lefaga. 

Fatausi Faamatalaga told the Samoa Observer that it is their first time to book into the resort and it is more fun and safer than going to the beach.

"Covid-19 and the lockdown has always been perceived as stressful for families fearing it, which I bet it's every family but it's also giving small families like us here unexpected moments like these," she said.

"We came because we thought our children deserve this treat after going through so much with school and everything and they do deserve a special treat all the time."