Tourists arriving in Tonga last week from Australia and New Zealand apparently all enjoyed welcoming music and entertainments at Vuna wharf.
But Tongan music and dancing were exhilarating that they could draw some of the tourists to cheer and dance along with local entertainers.
Two groups of entertainer were performing at the wharf as part of Tonga Tourism’s policy of welcoming and entertaining tourists who arrived in Tonga. The groups were the ‘Unuaki ‘o Tonga Royal Institute and Royal Tonga Police Brass Band.
Two palangi women were spotted leaving the cruise ship and as they came close to the entertainers who were performing by the walkway they started dancing and showing off to other tourists how they can perform the hakas (hand movements).
The tourists were passengers of the Black Watch which arrived in Nuku’alofa at dawn on Saturday, February 24, 2016.
The 28,613-tonne liner carries 820 passengers with 330 crew.
The Director of the ‘Unuaki ‘o Tonga Royal Institute Akosita Lavulavu said some of the tourists told her the welcoming entertainments they received in Tonga were the best they came across in the Pacific.
She said they “displayed” various Tongan attires including what Tongans formally wear on wedding and funeral as well as to church and hu louifi event.
Lavulavu said it was “the way we greet them and welcome them, they feel very welcome in the Kingdom”.
On February 27 the Pacific Pearl liner also arrived in Nuku’alofa after it rerouted to skip its scheduled ports in Fiji because of the widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Winston.
