Preparations for the annual shell money festival will be held on the 17th and 18th this month in Langalanga Lagoon, Malaita province.
As such preparation is making progress at Busu Home Stay cultural tourism resort in Langalanga.
The festival will run for two days starting on Wednesday 17th and will end on Friday 18th this month not on 18th to 19th as was reported over the weekend.
Speaking to this paper in Auki chairman of the Homestay tourism operator Thomas Dakero Bataiasi said, activities that will be demonstrated during the festival are cultural dancing, parade, canoe race, swimming race, pageant show, shell money making process, pride price ceremony and speech presentation.
He said the event is going to be funded by the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (SIVB) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
“Busu cultural tourism resort centre was established in 1996 to promote shell money and cultural identity of the people of Langalanga which started to dominate the full island of Malaita province.”
Mr Bataiasi said, travel writers and photographers from overseas are expected to attend the program including the officials from the Ministry and SIVB.
More local tourism operators including the public in and around Auki Langalanga are also expected to attend.
He appeals to the national and provincial government to support the event with some forms of donation.
This was the second time the event was held after it was first staged last year.
“I hope that this year’s festival will be more attractive than the first one,” Mr. Bataias said.
By WILLIAM EKOTANI
In Auki
