Business & Finance

23rd Guam Micronesia Island Fair On October 15-17

To Highlight Food Culture

TUMON, Guam - April 30, 2010 - Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) is pleased to announce plans are under way for the 23rd Guam Micronesia Island Fair (GMIF) scheduled for Oct. 15-17, 2010, at Gov. Joseph Flores Memorial Park (Ypao Beach) in Tumon.

This year’s signature event will not only unite cultures from across Micronesia at one interactive cultural venue but also contribute to a new effort by GVB to build Guam and the region’s reputation as a food destination.

The theme, “Celebrating the Tastes of Micronesia,” will give visitors a taste of the regional culture through dishes like fina denné and barbecue, show them what produce and seafood are grown locally, and what hotels and restaurants serve authentic Chamorro cuisine on Guam.

“As a GVB Signature Event, we look forward to the Guam Micronesia Island Fair every year,” said GVB Deputy General Manager Ernie A. Galito. “But this year’s GMIF has a two-fold mission. We’ll be doing everything we did in years past – uniting all the cultures of Guam and Micronesia, showing off our handicrafts, song and dance – as well as displaying what makes our region a unique food destination. Building our food reputation around that aspect will only enhance the visitor experience.”

Currently, few restaurants and hotels make authentic Chamorro cuisine available to guests.

“Most of the food available in Tumon is Asian, pan-Western and franchise food,” Galito said. “Our goal is to not only create awareness of our food among the visitor industry, but to also encourage local hotels and restaurants to put authentic Chamorro cuisine items on the menu. We won’t create a food destination identity until that happens.”

In an effort to bring more tourists to the GMIF, GVB has arranged that all local and off-island runners competing in the Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race must pick up their race packages at the pavilion on fair grounds.

Plans for the food-themed GMIF effort coincide with this year’s Maila ta fan Boka event on May 6-8, 2010, which is scheduled to bring about 20 media from four countries to Guam with the specific purpose of teaching them all about the island’s food culture.

Sponsors and a schedule of events for the 2010 GMIF will be released at a later date. The 2009 GMIF, which attracted more than 20,000 visitors over the course of three days, featured authentic cuisine and crafts from Guam, Saipan, Rota, Tinian, Palau, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Kiribati.

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