A tourist is a tourist

Dear Editor,

Re: Poor services for 4-5 star hotels. 

While I agree that some of the housekeepers in the fancy hotels do not provide the required standard of services, I have heard that by and large, most of the housekeeping meet the tourists’ requirements.

It is always good to provide training for those housekeepers who are new to the industry and paying them good moneys will also help motivate them to perform.

I wonder though whether there is an element of implicit bias, even racism, when it comes to the treatment of “Samoan’ tourists at these fancy hotels. 

As a local I have witnessed the different treatment of palagis (tourists and others) versus the treatment of friends and family members who have stayed at local hotels. 

The difference in treatment starts from the check-in, services at the dining rooms and housekeeping. 

While hotel staff fall over each other to provide first class services to the palagi tourists, there is curtness and downright rudeness in the way some serve our ‘Samoan’ tourists.

I might be wrong or seeing things which are not there but somehow, I don’t think so. A tourist is a tourist in our hotels irrespective of the skin colour or country of origin.  Manuia le aso.

 

Vai Autu

Samoa Observer

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