Fijians are dancing in Dubai!

from w
Okay, this is not about 'babasiga' and Macuata, but this news item does seem quirky - that anyone in Dubai would possibly want to go to the South Pacific for a holiday or buy Fiji bottled water for that matter! Dubai is a great shopping place and people want to go there! Hmmm. And who paid the fares of the Fiji dancers who will perform at the Heritage Surprises event?


Fiji takes Dubai Summer Surprises route to boost trade links

04 July 2007
Fiji is hoping to use a series of programmes at Dubai Summer Surprises to forge trade links with the UAE. A delegation led by the South Pacific republic's ministers of Commerce and Tourism will meet Dubai's business community at the Heritage Surprises event.

"Dubai is a magic word around the world, so being invited to take part in this promotion is a big boost for us," said Tourism Minister Bernadette Ganilau. "We are coming over with a dynamic group of young people to entertain shoppers and that should be an excellent start to spread awareness about Fiji in Dubai. The travel industry is excited about any potential link with Dubai and the UAE, so this trip means a lot to us.

"We're building bridges here, apart from marketing Fiji. We need new allies. We hope people in this part of the world will gain an insight into who we are and where we come from." Ganilau was in Dubai earlier this year to meet high-level travel industry officials.

"Our Minister of Commerce and Investment, Taito Waradi, is also coming over with a delegation for talks with investors and other interested parties," she added.

The visitors will meet representatives of the travel and tourism industry and Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

There will be meetings with bottled water distributors.

Also on the agenda are talks with stakeholders in the region's film community to discuss collaboration on staging a film festival in Fiji.

A troupe of 10 dancers will perform for a week at Dubai Festival City's Waterfront Centre from Thursday, while live demonstrations of the country's arts and crafts will be held at BurJuman during the same period.

By Keith J. Fernandez © Emirates Today 2007
Article originally published by Emirates Today 04-Jul-07