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During their visit to Samoa for the Commonwealth Business Forum, Lord Marland and Lord Swire took the opportunity to engage with some of Samoa’s most culturally and historically significant sites. These visits highlighted Samoa’s unique heritage and underscored its place within the Commonwealth’s tapestry of diversity.

The first stop was the tomb of the famous Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Known affectionately as “Tusitala,” or “Teller of Tales,” Stevenson spent his last years in Samoa and deeply admired the island and its people. He is best known for classics like Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and his presence in Samoa left a lasting legacy of friendship and understanding between Westerners and Samoans. His final resting place on Mount Vaea, overlooking the land he loved, symbolizes the bond he forged with the people and landscape of Samoa.

Lord Marland and Lord Swire also visited the Baha’i House of Worship in Tiapapata, one of only eight worldwide. Built in 1984, this beautiful temple invites visitors of all faiths to meditate and pray and symbolises Samoa’s embrace of religious tolerance and unity within diversity.

Their journey also included a stop at Papapapaitai Falls, a famous natural landmark that cascades nearly 100 meters.

Finally, Lord Marland and Lord Swire paid their respects at the Commonwealth War Graves in Apia. Here, the graves of New Zealand and Allied soldiers, who served in the Pacific during both World Wars, serve as a solemn reminder of Samoa’s shared history within the Commonwealth and of sacrifices made in the pursuit of peace.