In a bid to combat plastic waste, the 34th annual Teuila Festival will be a plastic-free event, as announced by Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa on Monday. 

This year's festival, which kicks off with a grand opening ceremony, is set to follow the theme "Enrich our environment, embrace our culture," a nod to the Samoa Tourism Authority's ongoing commitment to sustainability.

Addressing a crowd of special guests and attendees, Prime Minister Fiame, who also serves as the Minister of Tourism, underscored the festival's importance. 

"It is an event that attracts not only visitors but our people that reside overseas to reconnect with their roots and culture as evident with the 3 cultural dance groups travelling over for this year’s event," Fiame remarked.

The Teuila Festival, a cornerstone of the Authority's events calendar, continues to garner widespread support. 

This was confirmed by a forum held last year, where a strong majority of residents and the diaspora voted to ensure the festival's continuation. 

"Our Teuila Festival theme for this week 'Enrich our Environment, Embrace our Culture' was adopted in line with the Samoa Tourism Authority’s continued drive for a sustainable industry, and in recognition of the vital role that our environment plays in promoting our destination," Fiame elaborated.

As part of this commitment, this year's festival will eschew single-use plastics in favour of sustainable alternatives. Attendees are encouraged to make use of free water refilling stations set up throughout the venue. 

Food stall operators are also required to use biodegradable materials for serving their products, reinforcing the festival’s eco-friendly ethos.

Prime Minister Fiame also expressed gratitude to the respective villages involved in the National Beautification Campaign, urging everyone to make environmental care a regular practice rather than a special initiative. 

"Tourism is everyone’s responsibility and not just those directly involved in the industry," she emphasised, highlighting the importance of collective effort as Samoa prepares for the upcoming CHOGM meeting.

The festival's activities include food and handicraft stalls set up in the Samoa Tourism Authority’s cultural village, cultural siva exhibitions, and fire dancing performances. 

Variety shows are scheduled throughout the week at the Teuila main stage behind the government building. 

The Digicel Miss Samoa Pageant will commence on Wednesday evening on the main stage, featuring the 15 contestants competing in categories such as Introductions, Sarong, Puletasi, and Coconut. 

The pageant's float parade will occur on Friday, with the festival’s closing ceremony and the crowning of a new Miss Samoa titleholder scheduled for Saturday night at the Multipurpose Team in Tuanaimato.