By Tupuola Terry Tavita

What does the running of the bulls in Pamplona, the Mardi Gras and India’s Diwali Festival have in common?

They are among the five biggest festivals in the world and, thrive on crowd – meaning tourist – participation.

This week’s Teuila Festival has been a step up from previous years with the number of stalls, entertainment and tourist attractions on offer.

But it is still largely a festival geared towards our people, and what we want to see and enjoy. Choir competition, faleaitu (which no tourist understands), rugby and the usual diet of cultural performances.

Last night, the small crowd in front of the government building – including a sprinkling of tourists – had to sit there for two hours watching about ten fire knife dancers come up and repeat the same routine. Over and over again.

You can only watch so much siva afi dances. And going by the bored looks on some of the pale faces there, they weren’t having any fun. It wasn’t the least bit entertaining.

The reality is, people don’t just want to watch something, they also want to participate in it.

Perhaps it would’ve been better if there was a fire knife competition – for both young men and women – among hotels and resorts in the country where they choose tourists – train him/her – to represent them.

We assure you, hundreds of young Kiwis and Aussies will note that in their calendars to visit Samoa every first week of September.

The hotels and resorts can have their own in-house competitions – opening up another marketing opportunity for them – to select an ailao representative. And it’s not just fire knife dancing.

How about also a fautasi race pitting hotels and resorts against each other? The long boat race, no doubt, is Samoa’s most riveting, most entertaining festival highlight –for both locals and tourists alike.

The hotel establishments can rent the crafts from the villages providing another source of income for grassroots people.

We assure you whole groups of fit Kiwis and Aussies – their families and friends – will be making their way to Samoa this time around.

Heck, we could even make it a five-way New Zealand, Australian, American, Japanese  and Chinese fautasi race.

Let’s take advantage of the rivalry – and open machismo – between those countries to make money for us.

Put the race out in the open waters, the high swells, to give it that survivor element. Capsize, fall overboard and you’ll be shark food.

Adventurous palagis love that. In fact, with some nifty marketing and collaboration between tourism stakeholders, Samoa’s Long Boat Challenge could be right up there with Spain’s running of the bulls and Hawaii’s Ironman.

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