Q&A with Lonely Planet’s Tony Wheeler
Posted October 17, 2009 , comments closedEditor’s Note: A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of catching up with Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet (along with his wife Maureen), at the Viator San Francisco office. Catch up on previous Viator blog posts about the sale of Lonely Planet to the BBC and the Travel Writer’s Dilemma.
If Tony Wheeler didn’t exist, we’d need to invent him. You’ll know Tony if you’ve ever hauled a backpack around the globe with only a fuzzy itinerary (Asia?? why not!) and a money belt stuffed full with everything except money. Along with shoes and toothbrush, the only other required piece of gear was the guidebook.
Inevitably it was a Lonely Planet guidebook.
Tony Wheeler is the co-founder of Lonely Planet (along with his wife, Maureen). Which makes Tony the godfather, granddaddy and don of travel. This is a man who’s set foot in nearly every country on the planet (Iraq? Check. North Korea? Check. East Timor? Check.) This is a man who knows travel.
Tony Wheeler in Afghanistan, at Christ-e-Sharif
His story is legendary. After arriving in Sydney in 1972, after a six month Asia overland trip from Europe, he had 27 cents left in his pockets. After numerous friends asked him for advice on making the same journey, he decided to publish a book. In 1973 Lonely Planet’s first title was published, Across Asia on the Cheap, documenting their trip from London to Australia. In 1975 they published their second title, South-East Asia on a Shoestring.
From those early guidebooks Lonely Planet grew into the world’s largest independent guidebook publisher - more than 500 titles in print, an award-winning website, a respected image library, television programming and video, more than 400 staff in Melbourne, London and Oakland (California). In 2007 the Wheelers sold a majority interest in Lonely Planet to BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the venerable BBC. Tony is still closely involved with the company. In 2009 he hit the road to film segments in Laos and Alaska with a crew from Lonely Planet TV.
Death of the guidebook? Premature
Viator: Is the guidebook dead? Or are reports of its death premature?
Tony Wheeler: The death of print is the wrong way to think of it. Print is everywhere. There are more words being published on paper than ever before. What’s changing is the guidebook - it’s not going to stay on paper for ever. It’s migrating to mobile phones, downloads (have a look at Lonely Planet’s pick-and-mix PDF downloads) and, of course, the internet. So the guidebook is definitely not dead.
Viator: So if the guidebook isn’t quite dead, what is the role of a printed guidebook in 2009?
Tony Wheeler: Think about a destination like Congo and Zaire and - the guidebook itself may be a little outdated - but the maps are helpful. And overall, there are not many guidebooks to Congo, so in that case a guidebook is invaluable.
Another example: Our Cycling in Italy title, it went out of print a few years ago. Now it’s being sold on ebay for $150 a copy. The reason? It’s the perfect format for cycling. You’re not going to duck into an internet cafe while you’re on a long-haul cycling trip. And it’s the same thing when you’re traveling off the grid. Guidebooks are wonderful back-ups. People have been predicting the death of guidebooks for many years, they’re wrong. People love books.
Tony in Iraq
Viator: Travel experts versus group wisdom - is the role of an official “author” still crucial? Or has user-generated content taken over?
Tony Wheeler: Even Zagat’s (which relies on user-submitted reviews) requires experts to pull everything together. Lonely Planet’s own Thorn Tree is another good example. There’s great depth of content on the Thorn Tree - right now a traveler is on the spot in Congo, in Libya, in Tibet, posting to the Thorn Tree - but still there are gaps.
Even if 500 people on TripAdvisor endorse something, it doesn’t mean that the quality hasn’t suffered recently. And that’s where guidebook authors come in. And then there’s Iraq and Afghanistan - only Lonely Planet is sending people there right now.
Viator: What surprises you nowadays about travel, in the way that people travel?
Tony Wheeler: Frankly I’m surprised that people show up in the oddest of places. I took a 4×4 to the most remote corner of Africa, and yet there was a couple traveling the same route by bicycle. Amazing. It’s hard to push the edges of travel now, especially in Europe. I’m also surprised how easy it is to travel now. People in the UK heading to Prague for the weekend, that sort of thing. Travel has maybe become too easy.
Viator:What’s on your travel agenda this year?
Tony Wheeler: I wrote a book called Badlands, about traveling to the so-called Axis of Evil (Iraq, North Korea, Iran). I credit the book to George W. Bush. I’ve always been interested in edgy countries and I’d been kicking around the idea of writing something about ‘pariah’ countries. When Mr. Bush produced his ‘Axis of Evil’ list, my first thought was “I’ve got to go there.” So the Evil Axis trio formed the core of my ‘Bad Lands’ and it was no trouble to come up with a half dozen other contenders.
Perhaps surprisingly, I had a great time in all my ‘Bad Lands’ and – apart from a little uneasiness in Afghanistan and Iraq – I was never particularly concerned for my safety. North Korea was easily the weirdest: a place alternating between horror and comedy, a Stalinist theme park, a gulag run by Monty Python.
I’d like to follow that up with a book about “Weird Lands”, countries that have fallen off the rails somehow. Think about Congo - it’s gone steadily backwards since 1958. Or Colombia, which has been ruined by America’s fight against drugs. Somalia, Haiti, there are many off-the-rail countries to choose from.
Viator: Would you share a few of your favorite travel experiences with us?
Tony Wheeler: Last year I visited the cosmonaut training center at Star City outside Moscow, then flew down to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. I had a close-up look at the Soyuz FG launcher the evening before the launch, met with Richard Garriott (game entrepreneur who paid USD $30 million for the ride) and his back up Nik Halick (they were behind glass, in quarantine) and stood at dawn to see the Soyuz crew (followed by an assortment of support crew which even included an orthodox priest). As interesting as the rocket launch was my fellow passengers – our little group of Richard Garriott supporters included Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google, Peter Diamandis of the X Prize, Charles Simonyi, formerly of Microsoft and a 2007 space tourist, and assorted other space tourism followers.
Walking to the Soyuz bus, just before launch
I also have the Planet Wheeler Foundation to keep me busy. Our 2008 projects ranged from building a children’s clinic in Cambodia to funding medical training in Afghanistan. My favorite project in 2008 was the Melbourne Solar System. It’s a 1:1 billion scale model of our Solar System, starting with the Sun – a 1.4 metre diameter bronze orb that weighs 350kg (over 700 lbs). It’s on the waterfront bicycle path that runs along Melbourne’s bayside, starting at the St Kilda Marina. Jump on your bicycle and pedal west, you’ll come to Mercury in just 58 metres, Venus in 108 metres, the Earth (and our moon) in just 150 metres.
Cycling past Jupiter in Melbourne
The reality of course is that Earth is 150 million km from the Sun. After Mars the distances start to stretch. You’ll have pedaled 2.9 km from the Sun before you come to Uranus, at that one to one billion scale the reality is 2,900 million km. Keep going and you’ll have ridden out of St Kilda, past Middle Park and Albert Park and finally, the other side of Port Melbourne, you’ll come to tiny Pluto, 5.9 km from your solar starting point.
-Scott McNeely
10 Miniature City Marvels Around the World
Posted September 30, 2009 , comments closed10 Miniature City Marvels Around the World
If you’ve ever read the book Gulliver’s Travels, and wondered how Gulliver felt when he was washed ashore from his shipwreck and woke up in a land of tiny people called Lilliput, here’s your opportunity to find out.
You probably won’t get tied up and find yourself in the middle of a war of tiny nations, but you will get to see some astounding miniature buildings. The attention to detail at these parks is hard to believe. You’ll find yourself wondering how the designers created such intricate, exact replicas.
Bekonscot Model Village and Railroad – United Kingdom
This miniature park is located just 10 minutes outside of London in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. It was constructed in 1929, making it the oldest park of it’s kind in the world. Walking through the two-acre site will undoubtedly give you a glimpse of what English country life was like in the 1930‘s.
It was built in the back garden of the designer, around his swimming pool (which he used to represent the sea) as entertainment for his guests. Much later it became a tourist attraction. The six model villages are all make-believe places with shops that have silly names like the Lee Key Plumbers Merchants.
Wander through the colorful gardens, take a train ride around the property, stroll along the elevated walkway, play with the radio-controlled boats and enjoy the picnic area.
Madurodam – The Netherlands
This was a great park that we visited when my children were small. They thought it was incredible that they were bigger than the buildings and it was fun to watch them race down the paths, stopping occasionally in front of a structure that they recognized from our travels through this small country.
While strolling through the miniature city you’ll see gabled houses, canals, windmills, cows, canal boats and other typical Dutch scenes. You’ll even find a mini version of Schiphol airport, which took two years and four months to complete. The detail in this park is so amazing that you’ll enjoy it even if you are traveling without kids.
The park is located in the Hague, just outside of Amsterdam. A route guide to help you navigate the park is available in 13 different languages.
Cockington Green Gardens – Australia
This park opened about 30 years ago and is still a family owned establishment. It’s so well done that it’s won several tourism awards. The gardens are located about 15 minutes outside of Canberra.
The original models include the thatched roof village of Cockington in Great Britain, Baraemar Castle in Scotland and Stonehenge. Since then, the owners have added an international area where you’ll see the Lahore Gate and Red Fort from India, St. Mark’s Church from Croatia, the Palace of Darius – Perspolis from Iran and a lot more.
Along with the miniatures there is also a cafe, a small steam train ride, a mini train display, lovely gardens that sprawl across a two acre area, and an indoor exhibit area which currently displays an incredible 34 room Georgian style doll house.
Window of the World – China
Located in the city of Shenzhen, this is a park where you can spend a good portion of a day and see 130 of the world’s most incredible sights. You’ll wonder why you bothered to travel the planet when you could have seen everything in one place.
Set on 148 acres, you’ll find replicas of a 354-foot tall Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, the Acropolis, the Pyramids, the Colosseum, the Taj Mahal, Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Canyon and on and on. The displays in the park are built at ratios of 1:1, 1: 5 and 1:15.
If you like, you can choose different adventure trips to experience while you are visiting including skiing in the indoor alpine area or navigating the Colorado River. There are also several festivals each year hosted at the park – the Cherry Festival, International Beer Festival, Pop Music Festival, World Dance and Singing Gala and others.
Swiss Miniatur – Switzerland
This open-air miniature park is located in Melide on the shores of Lake Lugano. It was built about 50 years ago with the goal of representing a smaller version of the country of Switzerland. All of the models are built on a scale of 1:25.
Inside the park you’ll discover 120 replicas of houses, castles and cathedrals that represent life in Switzerland including Burgdorf Castle and Chillon Castle. There is also a wonderful display called Heidi’s Village in Maienfeld, which is a must-see for anyone who read and enjoyed the book.
For the train lover, there is an extensive miniature train display that includes 11,500 feet of track and 18 moving trains. This outdoor park is open from mid-March through mid-November.
Forbidden Gardens – United States
This park, which is located in Katy, Texas, about 25 miles outside of Houston, was built in 1997 by a Hong Kong native living in the United States. His idea behind the development of the park was the hope of educating people about the history and culture of ancient China.
The sprawling park sits on 40 acres and inside you’ll find replicas of the Forbidden City, the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Summer Palace and more. If you visit with your kids on Asian Adventure Day (which needs to be booked in advance) they will get a guided historical tour, and have a craft activity like making Chinese opera masks or paper lanterns.
Ave Maria Grotto – United States
This unusual park sits on four acres of a Benedictine Abbey in Cullman, Alabama. It was constructed over a 40-year period by a monk named Brother Joseph Zoetti. He built the 125 miniatures of famous churches, shrines and other buildings out of, well, basically junk that people donated for the cause – glass, marble, costume jewelry, broken tiles, whatever, along with some cement and other building materials.
As you walk down a forested trail you’ll pass by replicas of St. Peter’s Basilica, various Spanish missions, scenes of ancient Jerusalem and even a Tower of Babel. What started as a hobby for him became a life’s work and has been written about in a book entitled Miniature Miracles.
Mini Israel – Israel
This park is symbolically laid out in the shape of the star of David, with each point representing a specific area – Tel Aviv, Haifa, Negev, Jerusalem, Galil and Center. In it you’ll find 350 structures which have historical, cultural and religious importance to Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
The models were built on a ratio of 1:25 and completed in 2002 by a diverse team of designers, architects and model builders from different areas and various religious affiliations. It is located in the Avalon Valley near the city of Latrun.
Along with all of the religious structures you’ll also see live bonsai trees, about 30,000 figurines of people, 500 figures of animals, and close to 5,000 mini automobiles, trains motorcycles and airplanes.
Mini Europe – Belgium
After spending a few hours at this park in Brussels, you’ll feel like you’ve visited all of Europe. The models are a representation of 80 cities consisting of 350 buildings. You’ll see things like the Viking Ring Fort of Denmark, the City Hall of Stockholm, the Doge’s Palace in Venice, the Acropolis of Athens and the Houses of Parliament in London.
This park is very well known for the quality of the models. Many of them were quite expensive to build (hundreds of thousands of dollars.) Some of the models were gifts donated by the country represented. Many of the models actually work, like an erupting Vesuvius.
Tobu World Square – Japan
Let’s face it, most people are not going to get to that many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. But, if you make it to this park you’ll at least get to see 42 of them in a miniature 1:25 scale. Some of the models include the Great Wall of China, Parthenon, Statue of Liberty, Sphinx and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The creators of the park paid very close attention to detail during the five years of building. In fact, you may want to bring binoculars so you can get a really up-close look at the engravings, reliefs and stained glass found on some of the models. Every display has been well thought out – a great example of this is Tokyo Station surrounded by hordes of miniature people.
Read about author Deanna Hyland and check out her other BootsnAll articles
Photo credits:
Bekonscot by bortescristian on Flickr, Madurodam by przemion on Flickr, Cockington Gardens by mecookie on Flickr, Window of the World by dcmaster on Flickr, Swiss Miniatur by MnGyver on Flickr, Forbidden Gardens by Mr. Kimberly on Flickr, Ave Maria Grotto by southerntabitha on Flickr, Mini Israel by Templar1307 on Flickr, Mini Europe by Crispy Rice on Flickr, Tobu World Square by scion_cho on Flickr
Asia Vacations & South Pacific Vacations - Globus family of brands
Posted , comments closed) Travel to Asia and South Pacific regions of the world has increased with travelers’ growing interest in exotic travel. Whether they list China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tibet, Mongolia or Vietnam on their “must-see” lists for 2010, the Globus family of brands has unveiled a deep offering of vacations designed to enhance the lives of Americans venturing abroad.
“We are not only revealing new itineraries in Asia, our vacation styles to exotic locations worldwide have increased,” said Scott Nisbet, president and chief executive officer for the Globus family of brands. “We’re giving travelers a plethora of tours, river cruises and independent vacation packages to choose from.”
As part of its 2010 vacation offerings, Globus has unveiled several NEW vacations, including two tours: Essence of China and Exploring Australia vacations. And, Monograms the company’s independent travel arm has substantially increased offerings to Asia with NEW Tokyo & Kyoto, Beijing & Shanghai, Beijing & Hong Kong, China Escape and Bangkok & Phuket itineraries. On these vacations, travelers will traverse the Asia Pacific region of the world independently, with help from a Local Host.
“Our Monograms product has witnessed the most growth in these exotic destinations,” said Nisbet. “This expansion, in part, is because Monograms is the perfect choice for first-time travelers to a destination people who want the security and convenience of having an English-speaking Local Host on-hand to point them in the right direction and ensure they explore all of the ‘must-see’ sites.”
To celebrate its exotic vacations, the company is providing travelers $400 off per couple on the air-inclusive price on 2010 Asia & South Pacific vacations when booked before October 13, 2009.* Visit www.globusjourneys.com for more information.
2010 ASIA & CHINA VACATION HIGHLIGHTS:
NEW Essence of China (8 days), priced from $1,599 land- and intra-tour flights only.
Mystical Thailand (12 days), priced from $1,969 land- and intra-tour flights only.
Magical China & the Yangtze River (12 days), priced from $2,799 land/cruise- and intra-tour flights only.
Fascinating China & Mongolia with Yangtze River Cruise (17 days), priced from $5,389 land /cruise and intra-tour flights only.
NEW Bangkok & Phuket (9 days), priced from $989 land- only.
NEW Beijing & Shanghai (7 days), priced from $909 land- only.
2010 SOUTH PACIFIC VACATION HIGHLIGHTS:
NEW Exploring Australia (20 days), priced from $5,919 land- and intra-tour flights only.
South Pacific Sampler (13 days), priced from $3,139 land- and intra-tour flights only.
Naturally New Zealand (10 days), priced from $2,089 land- and intra-tour flights only.
Australia Escape (10 days), priced from $1,329 land- only.
Aussie & Kiwi Explorer (14 days), priced from $2,139 land- only.
*Book a 2010 Globus, Monograms or Avalon Asia or South Pacific air-inclusive vacation. Booking must be made, under deposit and discount applied between August 12 and October 13, 2009 for travel commencing through December 31, 2010. Offers not valid with any other offer except Journeys Club and applies to new 2010 bookings only. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.
ABOUT THE GLOBUS FAMILY OF BRANDS
Littleton, Colorado-based Group Voyagers, Inc. is the privately held company that markets and sells the Globus family of brands within the United States. Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and Avalon Waterways offer travelers unparalleled tour, independent travel package, river and small ship cruise options. Considered the world’s largest tour operator, with more than 80 years of international travel experience, the Globus family of brands is dedicated to enriching the lives of travelers by turning foreign destinations into familiar harbors, where the expense of travel is forgotten and replaced by personal value.
How Melbourne became Australia’s hottest destination
Posted , comments closed- Australia needs your input
- Victorian Tourism Minister Tim Holding slams Sydney's top spot
- German tourist attacked, stabbed in Melbourne
- Qantas names 75th Boeing 737 after famous New Zealand aviator
- Australia tourism launches contest on Facebook
- Have you heard the one about the dumb Australian?
- China-Australia rift threatens Australia's tourism
- Rare all-white humpback whale sighted near Great Barrier Reef
By
Diana Plater, Paul Mulvey and Gabrielle Dunlevy, theage.com.au |
Sep 30, 2009
It’s a miracle - culture has grown in popularity in Australia.
Well at least that’s what the numbers suggest.
For the first time, more Australians are visiting Victoria for a holiday than Queensland.
Data released by Tourism Research Australia shows NSW still heads the list with 7.2 million domestic visitors in 2008-09, followed by Victoria with 5.4 million and Queensland with 5.1 million.
Victorian tourist chiefs believe that during tough economic times, Australians’ tastes have shifted toward short breaks to experience Victoria’s cultural activities and away from Queensland’s physical attractions.
“The offer of big events, cultural events, retail, food and wine is considered more attractive than stuff like theme parks, Big Pineapples and gee-whizzy type of stuff,” Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief Anthony McIntosh says.
McIntosh says Victoria’s 20-year marketing campaign promoting its big events, such as the spring racing carnival, its shops, wineries and culture has paid off.
But he admitted visitors come for a good time, not a long time.
“The marketing has positioned Victoria as the place for short stay holidays, the place for dirty weekends basically,” he says.
“It’s a romantic, cultural, exciting place to visit for a short stay. People don’t stay here for weeks, they come and stay for a weekend or three or four days.
“They go to things like stage plays and big sporting events, musical tours, they go to wineries, they go to restaurants.”
As an example, both the National Gallery of Victoria and the Melbourne Museum recorded record crowds for their exhibitions on artist Salvador Dali and the ruins of Pompeii.
And the other blockbuster has been the musical Jersey Boys.
Melbourne Museum has had a record number to its exhibition, A Day in Pompeii.
And the NGV has had more than 150,000 people for its Salvador Dali Liquid Desire exhibition. Both exhibitions continue until October.
The gallery’s director Dr. Gerard Vaughan says the exhibition is second only in popularity to the NGV’s most attended Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, The Impressionists.
“Once again, the exhibition has proved extremely popular with visitors from Melbourne, regional Victoria, interstate and overseas,” Dr Vaughan says.
A Day in Pompeii tells the story of life in the ancient Roman city which was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, AD79. It covers everything from food and dining to shopping, medicine and religion.
The CEO of of Museum Victoria Dr Patrick Green says no other ancient city had been found so complete and intact.
But it remained lost and forgotten until rediscovered by archaeologists in the early 1700s.
Of particular interest are the the body casts, made by pouring plaster into hollows left where victims of the eruption were buried.
It’s particularly moving to observe their positions. They were most likely to have been covering their faces with their hands or clothes to relieve themselves from the gases that eventually suffocated them.
It’s highly recommended that people book online (museumvictoria.com.au/Pompeii) for a specific time so they don’t have to queue or come either in the afternoons (when the school kids have left) or Thursday nights when the Piazza Museo cafe is also open with musicians playing.
Both shows are part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, a Victorian government initiative that brings outstanding exhibitions from around the world exclusively to Melbourne. In its first five years it has attracted more than 1.34 million people.
Meanwhile, we found the audience at Jersey Boys playing at the historic Princess Theatre lively and friendly.
We got into the swing of things, playing a game of get up, sit down as other audience members climbed over us in the packed theatre.
The Australian version of the Tony Award-winning musical didn’t disappoint.
Written by Rick Elice it’s about the 60s pop group The Four Seasons, starring four relatively unknown Aussie actors.
It shows how Frankie Valli and his band were influenced by the mob influence of New Jersey in the 1950s and 60s but went on to sell 175 million records.
The show, which is running on Broadway and in more than six other cities, features their hit songs including Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Rag Doll, Oh What a Night and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.
The actors/musicians for this version were chosen with the help of some of the original band members, including Valli.
They include Irish Dance champion and former Australia Mamma Mia star Bobby Fox as Valli, actor and musician Scott Johnson as Tommy DeVito, Glaston Toft as Nick Massi and Stephen Mahy as Bob Gaudio.
Some other places to visit and things to do in Melbourne:
Federation Square: Corner of Flinders Street and Swanston Street. Call: (03) 9639 2800 or visit www.federationsquare.com.au. It’s a complete inner city block, connecting the central business district with the Yarra River and is a fusion of arts and events, leisure, hospitality and promenading.
Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) Federation Square: Flinders Street. Call: (03) 8663 2200 or visit www.acmi.net.au. It celebrates, champions and explores the moving image in all its forms - film, television, games, new media and art.
National Design Centre: Federation Square Flinders Street. Call: (03) 9654 6335 or visit: www.nationaldesigncentre.com. Combining a gallery space and resource centre, the NDC also hosts the annual Melbourne Design Festival which showcases the latest and greatest in local product and celebrates the classics.
Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia Cnr Russell and Flinders Sts. Call: (03) 8620-2222 or visit: www.ngv.vic.gov.au. Current exhibition: John Brack - runs until August 2009.
Eureka Skydeck: 88 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank. Call: (03) 9693-8888 or visit www.eurekaskydeck.com.au. It’s on Level 88 and is the highest public vantage point in Melbourne, Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. Visitors are able to take in the 360 degree views through floor to ceiling glass windows, from the CBD to the Dandenong Ranges and across Port Phillip Bay.
Deadly quake rocks Samoa, triggers killer tsunami
Posted , comments closed- Samoan airline suspends operations
- Fight over driving side switch brewing in Samoa
- Many Australians and New Zealanders no longer want to visit Fiji
- Health alert as dengue fever rages in Pacific
- German tourist attacked, stabbed in Melbourne
- Man trap set to maim tourists
- To protect tourism Palau creates shark sanctuary
- Discover Raiatea
By
David Beirman, eTN Crisis Expert |
Sep 30, 2009
The earthquake that rocked Samoa at 0648 local time measured 8.3-magnitude on the Richter scale and subsequently generated a killer tsunami that has hit various parts of American Samoa, the south coast of Upolo (the most populated island of Samoa) and the smaller island of Manono. The death toll is estimated at 40 people on both American Samoa and Samoa and is expected to rise.
“As the earthquake struck sirens wailed in Apia, the capital of Samoa and bells rang in coastal villages all over Upolo,” eyewitness Elizabeth Angus said. “People who have been well prepared for a tsunami, immediately moved to higher ground and thousands of people were walking from Apia to the nearby hills.”
However, the tsunami struck on the southern coast of Upolo so quickly and with such ferocity that many people in low-lying areas could not evacuate, according to Angus. “One of the people who drowned in the tsunami was Tui Annadale, wife of Joe Annadale the owner of the upmarket Sinalei Resort on Uplolo’s south coast. Tui was much-loved by the thousands of Australians, New Zealand and American guests who have enjoyed the hospitality of the fabulous resort and Tui’s own commitment to hospitality.”
Although full details are not yet available, several popular tourist resorts on Upolo’s south coast are feared to have been affected by the tsunami, which followed the massive quake.
In Samoa, many of the beach fales and small resorts are literally located on the water’s edge and would have had little warning of a tsunami.
Damage to Apia is reported to be modest although media reports on American Samoa suggest that damage to coastal settlements there has been considerable.
The Samoan Tourism Authority is expected to provide updates in the coming hours.