Sunday 29th August 2021;
Reverend Mariota Siaea,
Your Highness the Head of State Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi II and Masiofo,
Hon Member of the Council of Deputies and Masiofo,
Ministers of Cabinet,
Members of the Diplomatic Corp,
Church Leaders and members of the National Council of Churches,
Heads of Government Ministries, Corporations and the Business Community,
Ladies and Gentlemen
In 1991, an event that has over the years flourished to become among the biggest of its kind in the South Pacific was established.
The event was set-up to draw Samoa’s sons and daughters living abroad to the Motherland to reconnect with the ancestral home of their mothers and fathers. And in doing so, help support the rise of Samoa’s tourism industry and economy after having been severely impacted by natural disasters at the time.
Ladies and gentlemen, that event is of course our very own Teuila Festival.
Prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Teuila Festival had grown into a widely followed and highly anticipated cultural celebration and it was not uncommon for other events including locally-hosted regional and international meetings and conferences to run parallel with the Festival, and thus provide an immersive Samoan experience for visitors to our shores.
The Festival whose roots are enshrined in our Faa Samoa or Samoan Way of Life, is a celebration of what our Samoa brand is about.
The Festival is a pivotal platform and an acknowledgement of our diverse and talented dancers, musicians, choreographers and artisans to name a few.
Despite the ongoing impacts of the Pandemic, Government recognises the importance of the Teuila Festival and its uninterrupted continuation as a key national event, especially in terms of supporting domestic tourism initiatives and lifting spirits and building excitement.
Due to Covid and the absence of our international visitors including family and friends who would normally be here at this time of the year, the Festival Programme has been adjusted accordingly. That said, I invite you to safely and responsibly enjoy the waterfront markets, sporting events and many others, especially at our tourism businesses across the country.
Let us continue to pray for our Heavenly Fathers’ blessings and protection over our beloved Samoa.
Ladies and gentlemen, I now declare the 31st Annual Teuila Festival open.
SOIFUA MA IA MANUIA.
