Peruvian participation at the 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival was crucial to reach a new market in the United States, as a result of a cultural and gastronomic journey that took Peru to Washington D.C., Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Magali Silva affirmed.
“Our participation in the Smithsonian [Folklife Festival], which is not a fair, represents a possibility to reach a U.S. market that we have never reached before, and gain great media exposure,” she explained.
During the press conference held at the Lima-based Government Palace, she said a total of 120 representatives of cultural, gastronomic and agricultural sectors attended the 24th-28th June event.
“They represented the 12 regions of the country; for example, we brought in artisans and musicians –some aged 85 years– who had never left their towns,” Silva stated.
While in there, Peruvian nationals had the chance to share their culture and skills in painting, music, and they even sowed quinoa.
“We have appeared on national television, investment was exactly as the State does it; we got media attention, increased the number of tourists, expected to receive a return, and we are actually getting it,” she assured.
The government official explained that the proposal taken to Washington D.C. goes beyond the notion of a fair, but was about bringing Peru’s presence in.
“Our government has a component focused on social inclusion, which the U.S. citizen has found,” she added.
This was the first time the festival stars a special guest country, because in the past a foreign country used to share the display space with a U.S. celebration.
(END) JCC/JCC/RMB
Published: 7/11/2015