Drone Used At Lalomanu Beach By Two Social Media Influencers Unlicensed
Social Media Influencers by the name of @kristijanilicic on TikTok
Photo: @kristijanilicic on TikTok
The tourists who have caused a stir online with their complaint-ridden TikTok videos taken at a Lalomanu beach fale property do not have a license to operate a drone in Samoa.
This was confirmed by Samoa’s Regulator, Lematua Gisa F. Purcell when she spoke to EyeSpy Radio News on Tuesday.
Lematua said people who bring drones into the country are required to have their drone approved by The Office of the Regulator (O.O.T.R.).
EyeSpy Radio contacted the Regulator to ask about the drone that was used in Lalomanu recently.
She said the beach fale owner who appears in the videos must contact police and inform them that the Regulator has advised that the drone cannot be used in Samoa.
The tourists have not paid for a license, Lematua noted.
“Those tourists do not have a license to operate a drone in Samoa and their drone has not been approved by the Regulator,” Lematua said.
Samoa's Regulator Lematua Gisa Fuatai Purcell.
Photo: O.O.T.R./Facebook
“The beach fale owner has to report to police and tell police the Regulator advised their drone cannot be allowed in Samoa unless they have their drone approved by the Regulator and pay for a license.”
A few tourists who went to Lalomanu Beach recently with the intent to capture aerial footage using a drone have posted several videos complaining about the fees charged by a beach fale operator.
The tourists also complain about being instructed not to operate their drone at the beach unless they pay $1,000.
All drones that enter the country must be type approved by the Regulator, said Lematua.
“People who bring drones into the country have to bring their drone to the Office of the Regulator to be type approved,” Lematua said.
“If the equipment does not meet the requirements, they are not allowed to use it. We may keep the drone here until the day they return.”
Lematua reviewed several videos made by the visitors.
The Regulator hopes to speak with the beach fale operator and the drone operator.
Eyespy Radio has not been able to speak to the beach fale owner and tourists involved in the incident.
The Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A.) issued an official statement about the incident at Lalomanu Beach on Tuesday.
The tourists have not received approval from the Tourism Authority to produce promotional content for its channels.
“While S.T.A. acknowledges that the visitors intended to produce promotional content for its channels, it did not come through its media programme,” said the Tourism Authority.
“The Authority has extended to the Aleipata Tourism Alliance its offer of support as part of wider collective efforts to rebuild Samoa’s visitor economy. S.T.A. takes this opportunity to remind visitors to liaise with tourism business owners including custodians of sites and attractions before undertaking activities and experiences (especially beyond their main place of stay).”
The S.T.A. assures visitors who are already in the country and those who are planning their itineraries and members of the public that beach fale operators at Lalomanu are under the umbrella of the Aleipata Tourism Alliance (A.T.A.).
With the support of S.T.A., members of the Alliance are in the process of implementing response measures, following the social media videos that show visitors disputing fees for the purpose of accessing the beach and conducting content production.
“While S.T.A. will not go into detail about the series of events that transpired based on operator accounts, the Authority has ascertained from the Aleipata Tourism Alliance that it will call a meeting of its members to discuss what happened,” the Tourism Authority said.
Goals of the meeting include: collectively rolling out measures, including standard fees among members and signage to help protect beach fale operators. The S.T.A. also wants to ensure visitors are well informed and protect the image of beautiful Samoa as a visitor destination.
“Following the reopening of Samoa’s borders to international travellers on August 1st, the tourism industry has benefited directly from the gradual increase in visitor arrivals in alignment with the growth in air connectivity and international marketing efforts by STA and tourism business operators,” the Tourism Authority said.
“These benefits have flowed onto other industries and communities that make up the tourism supply-chain. S.T.A. recently restarted its international media visit programme and has with the support of tourism businesses hosted media. Through these, valuable exposure via articles and features highlighting the destination have been published and syndicated across multiple channels.”