THE Food and Travel Expo was held in Novosibirsk, the Russian Federation, from 11 to 13 July under the theme “In Siberia — THERE is!” The Myanmar Tourism Federation (MTF) and its sister associations, under the supervision of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, represented Myanmar with a tourism promotion exhibition.
The exhibition was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Entrepreneurship of the Novosibirsk Oblast of the Russian Federation and the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Siberia. During the event, there were product displays, tourism promotion programmes, roundtable discussions, culinary competitions, wine and cheese contests, and cultural dance and musical performances.
The exhibition was attended by international tourism organizations, restaurant and hotel operators, food producers — including cheese and wine makers — product manufacturers, musicians and artistes, tour guides, investors, and members of the media.
The opening ceremony, held on 11 July, was attended by the Deputy Minister of Industry, Trade and Entrepreneurship Development of the Novosibirsk Oblast of the Russian Federation, who delivered a speech and officially opened the exhibition. The Myanmar delegation led by the Consul-General of Myanmar in the Novosibirsk Oblast and U Naung Naung Han, Vice President of the Myanmar Tourism Federation also attended the event.
In addition, at the Myanmar tourism promotion pavilion of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Myanmar students studying in the Russian Federation and local Myanmar families helped prepare food and perform traditional Myanmar dances.
The Myanmar Tourism Exhibition featured a variety of traditional Myanmar dishes and wines, served food to visitors, provided brief introductions to Myanmar’s destinations and tourist attractions, and facilitated connections between hotel, tourism, and food service operators from Russia and Myanmar to promote mutual cooperation. In addition, visitors showed particular interest in taking photos with traditional Myanmar military and noblemen’s uniforms, as well as enjoying performances of the Myanmar puppet dance, traditional harp, and the U Shwe Yoe and Daw Moe duet dance.
Participation in the exhibition enabled the direct dissemination of information about Myanmar’s traditional cuisine, cultural and artistic heritage, and iconic tourist destinations to visitors. The event also served as an opportunity to invite Russian tourists to learn more about Myanmar and consider visiting the country, contributing effectively to efforts to promote Myanmar in the Russian tourism market. — MNA/TH
