Everyone wants a slice of Pacific paradise
Tourism and coconut oil get huge boost from flagbearer’s role
He only walked across the Olympic stage for a few minutes, but the appearance of Tonga’s glistening flagbearer was enough to boost tourism and lead to a sudden demand for coconut oil.
Pita Taufatofua sent the internet into overdrive when he showed up during Rio’s opening ceremony wearing only Tongan tapa cloth and finery and slathered in coconut oil, as i s Tongan tradition.
The 32- year- old — who i s the country’s first athlete to ever qualify for the Taekwando Olympics — caused onlookers to ask about the Pacific nation and coconut oil.
Unlike baby oil, coconut oil is distinctive in that at room temperature, it remains solid. Made from the flesh of a coconut, it is a staple in homes across all Pacific nations.
Several Pacific beauty brands have reported a rush to buy coconut oils and coconut- based products since the opening ceremony. Island Rose Dream — which offers beauty products made from coconuts from Tonga — said it had received dozens of orders for its coconut oils, moisturisers and scrubs following the Olympic opening ceremony.
Founder Rosie Akauola- Fine said the most popular orders had been for their 200ml bottles of coconut oils which come in mango, watermelon, sandalwood and gardenia fragrances.
She said Lolo Tonga ( Tongan coconut oil) was used for many reasons — as a moisturiser, sunscreen, hair product, massaging muscle pain and for dancers during traditional cultural performance. “It’s been used for centuries and it’s used to glisten the body to beautify the dancer.”
Pure Fiji NZ also reported larger orders than normal in the past week.
“Everyone seems to be going crazy over coconut oil at the moment and thanks to the Tongan flagbearer, Pita, even the Rio Olympics have caught onto the craze!”
Taufatofua is also being credited for a new international interest in Tonga, with thousands of people visiting the country’s official tourism website in the past week.
Tonga Tourism spokeswoman Tupouseini Taumoepeau said in the past few days thousands of visitors had been to its website — which now boasts a large photo of Taufatofua in all his finery on its opening page.
There had also been hundreds of visitors to the official Kingdom of Tonga Facebook page and engagement via Twitter.
He i s to compete in Rio early tomorrow.
On a fundraising website asking fans to help him get to Rio, a video includes exactly how hard it was to get there: “6 broken bones, 3 torn ligaments, 1.5 years on crutches, 3 months on a wheelchair, hundreds of hrs of physio. Worth every moment.”
Pure Fiji NZ