Guinea Ambassador to Seychelles calls on Minister for Tourism

H.E. Mrs. Fatoumata Kaba, the new Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea who was in Seychelles to present her credentials to the island’s President Michel, made time to pay a courtesy call on the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Alain St.Ange.

The Minister received H.E. Fatoumata Kaba at his offices at the National Cultural Centre in Victoria in the presence of Mrs. Anne Lafortune, his PS for Tourism.

Discussions centered on cooperation between the Republic of Guinea and the Seychelles on tourism and also culture. Minister St.Ange took the opportunity of the meeting to thank Guinea for all the assistance offered to Seychelles and invited them to be present in the coming Carnival International de Victoria.

Minister St.Ange said, “I really hope that your Minister responsible for Tourism could personally lead a small cultural troupe from Guinea to be at the April Carnival.”

The carnival in Seychelles remains unique in many ways. The best and most popular carnivals of the world come together in Seychelles and all parade side by side followed by cultural troupes from the Community of Nations. Today the Carnaval International de Victoria is known by the international media houses as the “Carnival of Carnivals,” because of the togetherness by all carnivals coming together once a year for this event in Seychelles.

Many tourism destinations also use this carnival for promoting their own tourism industry. “It is like a tourism trade fair, but here, it is the country’s culture and in so doing the people of the respective countries who are being put forward instead of brochures and cocktails. It is today accepted that participating countries at the carnival in the Seychelles have more access to international press than they can ever have at any tourism trade fair,” Minister Alain St.Ange said to Ambassador Fatoumata Kaba.

“Every country participates at tourism trade fairs as a PR exercise and to try to raise the visibility of their destination. The carnival in Seychelles offers to participating tourism destinations exactly this opportunity and even more. The large bank of international press present to cover the unique ‘Carnival of Carnivals’ event can be approached to report on the destination through their culture and better still through the people of the different countries. It is today accepted that distributing colorful brochures is one thing, but putting feeling in marketing of the destination by showcasing the people and culture of the country goes much further than any cocktail or brochure handout events,” the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Alain St.Ange, said.

“This is why we have invited countries to join the carnival in Seychelles and to fly their flag as they mark their presence in front of the international press who will be in Seychelles for the 2014 edition of the ‘Carnival of carnivals,’” Minister St.Ange said.

Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .