Samoa Airways uplifted the highest number of passengers into the country for the month of November 2018, according to recently released data from the Samoa Bureau of Statistics.

The Bureau’s international arrival data for last month showed that the national carrier had a 39.0 per cent share of total passenger arrivals in Samoa, which equated to a total of 6451 passengers. Air New Zealand followed with 31.6 per cent for a total of 5228 passengers, with Fiji Airways rounding off the top three with 11.8 per cent representing a total of 1943 passengers. 

Virgin Australia uplifted 8.8 per cent of total passengers last month, which was a total of 1452 arrivals while Talofa Airways accounted for 4.1 per cent of total arrivals, which represented 682 passengers.

That data for last month also showed a decrease of 14.8 per cent in passenger arrivals, when compared to the previous month, and an increase of 6.7 per cent over the corresponding month of November last year.

“As usual, air was the preferred mode of travel to Samoa, representing 96.8 per cent 15,993 of total arrivals, while the remaining 3.2 per cent 528 arrived by sea in November 2018."

“In November 2018 compared with November 2017, the total arrivals 16,521 (which is) an increased by 6.7 per cent ¬ with the total visitors of 11,483 which is decreased by 5.2 per cent,” stated the Bureau.

According to the report from the Bureau, air travel is still the preferred mode of transport to use to come to Samoa. Travel by air represented 96.8 per cent or 15,993 of total arrivals with the remaining 3.2 per cent (528) arrived by sea. 

“Overall visitors numbered 11,483 for the month under review revealed a decrease of 20.9 per cent over the previous month, and a decrease of 5.2 per cent when compared to the corresponding month of November 2017."

“Visitor arrivals have a strong seasonal pattern with a regular peak of numbers during holiday seasons normally December and July. The smoothed short term trend for visitor arrivals adjusting for seasonal pattern,” stated the report. 

In terms of the nationalities that visited Samoa last month, New Zealand leads with 5252 (45.7 per cent) total number of visitors, followed by Australia with 2306 passengers (20.1 per cent), United States of America 908 passengers (7.9 per cent) and American Samoa 860 passengers (7.5 per cent).