Neu: 2001-12-16 Contents of this issue:
1. In The Mood 2. No Value? ======================================================================== December 16th, 2001 1. In The Mood : With Christmas fast approaching Niue is in a festive mood. Many government departments are organising annual parties -some have already held them. Sporting groups are staging their final events for 2001 and the Legisltive Assembly holds its final meeting on December 20 when the Premier is expected to announce a date for next year's general election. A booked-out direct charter flight from Auckland to Niue return takes place December 23. Groups from NZ visiting friends and relatives on Niue will replace the 120 Niue residents heading to Auckland. 2. No Value?: Because it hasn't realized any benefits in tourism, the American Samoan government says it is in no rush to pay its membership fees to the South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO). Governor Tauese Sunia said during the recent the inter-Samoa government meeting that despite the annual fees American Samoa paid in past years, there remains a lack of tourism in the territory. He said American Samoa does not benefit from SPTO or does it appear that there is any tourism support for the territory from the organization. When it did not receive American Samoa's membership fees, the SPTO board requested that the Samoa Visitors Bureau -- a member of SPTO -- follow up on American Samoa's membership. Tauese said that American Samoa and SPTO should deal with the matter and SPTO should have never involved the neighboring country of Samoa. __END__
