As the three-day annual Trade Days came to an end yesterday, young businessman Kesomi Tatola said the chance to showcase the beauty of the Cook Islands through the arts and crafts each vendor had was a great experience.

The Bank of the Cook Islands (BCI) and Business Trade and Investment Board (BTIB) sponsored event held at the Punanga Nui Market featured over 90 vendors selling a range of arts and crafts as well as local delicacies.

Tatola sells Manihiki pearls from their family pearl farm on the northern group island.

He said the Trade Days event was a celebration of showing visitors the beauty of Cook Islands and a chance to show their art and culture. 

Tatola praised BCI for their outstanding support in helping vendors achieve sales success during the three-day event.

“The vendors as well have been great. There’s a sense of community with all the vendors, we all look to help each other. It also helps that we were blessed with beautiful weather.”

At his stall, Tatola sold Cook Islands black pearls from Manihiki. The pearls belonged to a family run and operated business for close to 30 years.

“I’m the newest face in terms of the selling department. We’ve been doing it at every Saturday market, but it’s nice to have the trades, just to have those extra few days of trading. And just to showcase how beautiful our pearls are.”

The theme for this year’s Trade Days was “Grow Local, Buy Local”.

In terms of promoting local products, Tatola said: “I think it’s definitely a big thing especially at the moment with the younger generation, with all of them wanting to move overseas to find work.”

“I’m someone that has travelled from overseas to the Cook Islands. I’ve fallen in love with the island, with its beauty. Married a beautiful Cook Islands woman, but I’ve also married the culture as well. I think having these trades today just highlights how beautiful this country is.

“And how important it is to keep generations here, on the island and for them to realise that it is beneficial financially to stay on the island, while keeping your culture and your heritage close to you as well.”

Tatola said that most people who travel overseas “they kind of lose themselves, they lose their identity”.

“And what you’ll find here after these trades is that people can still hold on to their identity, to their family lineage, but still make an honest and good living.”

He said he looked forward to next year.

BTIB’s Charity Malaga said it was a good three-day event.

“When we get the final vendors and customer’s survey then we will be able to see how we can improve for next year’s event since it will be the 60^th and biggest one.”

Malaga said there would be more people coming from the Pa Enua and overseas countries for next year’s event, and they would need to prepare well in advance.