Hospitality And Tourism Festival Begins Monday
“This inaugural festival in way is to encourage our students to start up their own business, especially small business and handicrafts”Mr Gupta said.
The first ever Hospitality and Tourism Festival will kick off on Monday.
This festival is expected to bring together a variety of Fiji’s latest cuisine alongside handmade handicraft put together by women from around Nadi.
Organised by the National Training and Productivity Centre(NTPC), the weeklong festival will be at the Fiji National University’s Namaka Campus.
The University’s Acting Head of Training Akesh Gupta, who is heading the organising of the festival said this was a big event running for a week.
Tourism Fiji director marketing, Emma Campbell will be the chief guest.
Aim
“The festival aimed to promote creativity and innovative approaches of activities management in the hospitality and tourism sector,” Mr Gupta said.
“This inaugural festival in way is to encourage our students to start up their own business, especially small business and handicrafts.”
The festival is divided into three parts:
■The first is activities for children where there would be something available for them during the opening hours.
■The second is the chance for the vendors from the Nadi Handicraft Centre to showcase their products at the Market. They have also invited women from nearby settlements and villages to showcase and sell their
items.
■The third is the main tourism village that will have 12 stalls all having different varieties in food. It will also include eight stalls showcasing different tourism products, mainly from suppliers of products and items to hotels and resorts.
Mr Gupta said these would include furniture and hotel equipment.
The centre of the tourism village will feature a large stage where invited performers and groups would entertain the people each night.
Other activities
Other activities include career talks by industry experts, skills workshops and competitions in housekeeping, cookery and food and beverage. Programmes every evening would be a different theme and this includes Polynesian, drama and cultural.
“We really want to make this festival a mixture of learning and connectivity.”
Workshop
Mr Gupta said there would be a lot of workshops going on to inspire the students and which would focus on decorations, hair and beauty and fashion.
Sponsors
The festival is sponsored by Fiji Fashion Week and Culinary Federation of Fiji.
Fiji Fashion Week will conduct a fashion hunt during the weeklong festival and the winner would be given a chance to showcase their creations during the premier fashion shows in Fiji.
The Federation, headed by renowned Chef Lance Seeto along with top chefs from Nadi will put together a Gala Night Dinner for guests and visitors on September 27.
Mr Gupta said invitations and emails had been sent to major organisations in Nadi, including hotels and resorts with an emphasis for tourists to witness the event.
“In the past week I have already visited and invited over 50 different organisations where I delivered invitations,” he said.
The festival will open from 10am to 10pm daily and is open to students, the general public and industry partners. It will end on Friday. Feedback: charles.chambers@fijisun. com.fj