Arts festival
committee scraps floating hotel idea
by Fili Sagapolutele
Samoa News Correspondent
The idea of using
a cruise ship as a floating hotel during the two-week 10th Pacific
Arts festival, has been scrapped due to the high cost that visitors
will have to pay.
Organizing committee
co-chair Fagafaga Daniel Langkilde said this was one of the issues
discussed during yesterday's committee meeting, where subcommittees
presented updated reports on their progress.
Because all hotel
accommodations are booked, the committee had sought proposals
from cruise ship companies, willing to send a vessel here to
be used as a floating hotel.
One proposal
was received and reviewed by the committee.
"We reviewed
the proposal and calculated the costs as presented in the proposal,
but in the end it's just too expensive," said Fagafaga.
"It will cost over $400 per person, per day for the cruise
ship room. No one will come with this type of rate - it's too
high."
Fagafaga said
the committee is forging ahead with its home-stay program, where
visitors rent a room with local families. He also said that the
committee is reiterating a call to local residents who have homes
available for rent during the festival to contact the committee.
Fagafaga said
they will also be approaching churches with conference halls,
to see if such places are available for rent by visitors.
"All this
information will be given to people inquiring about accommodations,"
he said, noting that there are still more requests being received
from off-island.
The committee
has also received a proposal from an off-island firm, to provide
steel frame fabric tents for visitors to use. Fagafaga said these
type of accommodations are usually used by the military or after
a disaster as temporary shelter.
"The company
needs a flat place to set up these types of accommodation, which
is air conditioned. It looks like tents from the outside but
inside its like a hotel room and includes a bed," said Fagafaga.
"We are now reviewing prices before a decision is made on
this proposal."
Regarding the
budget, Fagafaga said it was not discussed because Gov. Togiola
Tulafono stayed at the meeting for a short time, as he had another
pending engagement.
Last month the
committee presented to the governor it's more than $4 million
final budget with a shortfall of $1 million. The governor was
to review it and discuss it again later with the committee, who
is hoping that additional funding will be provided by ASG to
cover the shortfall.
Reach the
reporter at fili@samoanews.com.
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