A golden

invitation

IN 1568, Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendana discovered the Solomon Islands. He came in search of gold and is reputed to have found it.

Today, the Solomons government is inviting people to come and find their own form of treasure in its tourism delights. That is why they are partici pating in Expo ’92 in Spain.

“The exposure we will get from our participation will give us a golden opportunity to show ourselves to the outside world new markets for our upcoming investment, trade and tour ism industry,” according to Wilson Maelaua, vice-chairman of (he Sol omon Islands government Expo ’92 committee.

A SUS2OO,OOO ($81600,000) contri bution will give the Solomons exposure to an estimated 40 million people who will visit the Expo site, including three million visitors to the Pacific Pavilion.

The Spanish State Corporation is helping SUSBSO,OOO for 10 Island performers from each country to par ticipate. The EEC has also allocated ECU66,000 to enable eight ACP states to participate in Expo. This will allow the Solomons to send at least two people to Seville for the six months.

At present the Solomons’ Expo committee has only 51527,000 in its account, but a formal appeal to the private sector will be made soon. Firms which have joined the Expo committee include Solomon Airlines, Solomon Taiyo Limited (tuna canners) and Sir Mariano Kclesi, representing the handicraft sector. The committee will sell handicrafts, stamps and souvenirs at the Pacific Village at Expo. It also will sell advertising in the official Solomon Islands government Expo ’92

guide.

To give visitors to the Pacific Pav ilion an idea of the Solomon Islands they have a display including a war canoe, artifacts lent from the Solomon Islands National Museum, handicrafts, stamps and t-shirts. Solomon Taiyo tuna may be on sale.

Maelaua, who is also the general manager of the Solomon Islands Tour ist Authority, said that although Eur ope is definitely a long-haul market, the Solomons tourism industry is trying to make an entry as a region. □