The tiny island nation of Samoa off the Pacific is catapulting itself 24 hours into the future on December.

According to the Samoan government, after December 29, Samoans will not have the 30th but instead wake up to December 31.

The 'time travel" is in line with the government's decision to align its time zone to its western neighbors, including Australia and New Zealand. The leap is important to harmonize trading with said countries.

The move also comes 119 years since 1892 after the Pacific island nation changed its time zones from west to east to align itself with traders in California.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi commented on the government decision, "In doing business with New Zealand and Australia we're losing out on two working days a week. While it's Friday here, it's Saturday in New Zealand and when we're at church on Sunday, they're already conducting business in Sydney and Brisbane."

However, tour operators expect some backlash as they market Samoa to be the best place to spend holidays which is "the last place to see the sunset each day."

Local tour guide Andrew Tiatia said this marketing selling point could be lost with the change in time zones. "Once that's gone, we're just like the rest of the world," he said.

But Malielegaoi urges tour operators to look at it from a different perspective. He said the move means that Samoan visitors will have the opportunity to celebrate whatever occasion the same day twice by hopping between Samoa and American Samoa, an hour's flight away.

"You can have two birthdays, two weddings and two wedding anniversaries on the same date on separate days without leaving the Samoan chain," he said.