Seychelles Carnival: Bringing the world to Seychelles is now but 25 days away

After an interval of 40 years, Seychelles is entering once more the world of carnival with one of its very own, the 2011 Seychelles “Carnaval International de Victoria,” which Seychelles will be hosti

After an interval of 40 years, Seychelles is entering once more the world of carnival with one of its very own, the 2011 Seychelles “Carnaval International de Victoria,” which Seychelles will be hosting between March 4-6, 2011.

Seychellesโ€™ first carnival was held in 1972 to celebrate the launch of Seychellesโ€™ tourism industry. This innovation was spearheaded by Mr. James Mancham, then Chief Minister of Seychelles of the then British Colony. Today, with a record year for tourist arrivals beneath its belt, the country looks set for carnival fever once again, as the islands gear up for its new carnival, which is attracting participants from as far and wide as the Peopleโ€™s Republic of China, South Korea, Japan, and Russia to the United Kingdom, France, and Italy and even closer to home with South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and La Reunion all echoing their support.

The “Carnaval International de Victoria” echoes the fact that, since those days of its first settlement, Seychelles has always been a rich melting-pot of peoples from the four corners of the planet and now has received the assurance of so many friendly countries that they will all be part of the Seychelles Carnival under the theme “Melting Pot of Cultures.”

โ€œThe Seychelles โ€˜Carnaval Internationale de Victoriaโ€™ is an ideal way for us to raise the visibility of our islands on the world stage and to showcase what we have,โ€ stated Alain St. Ange, CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board and eTurboNews ambassador, โ€œas well as to echo the core values of our Seychelles brand of tourism, one of which is to embrace domestic tourism and allow the Seychellois population to participate to the fullest extent possible.โ€

With already encouraging international participation, the 2011 Seychelles “Carnival International de Victoria” promises to be a not easily forgotten 3-day spectacle of festivities, international food stalls, performances of live music from all over the world, and a spectacular procession of close to 60 carnival floats.

The official opening of the carnival, to be attended by visiting dignitaries from several various participating countries, will take place on a day when music shows and other festivities are expected to last throughout the night.

Swelled by sailors from international navies whose visits are being planned to coincide with the 3-day carnival, this spectacular event will then move into the Carnival Day featuring a Carnival procession of participantsโ€™ floats on a circular itinerary through the streets of the capital and against a backdrop of music, dance, and colorful costumes. The third and final day of the Carnival will feature a family fun day and all-night party.

The event will have its very own carnival song, composed by local artists to reflect the countryโ€™s three national languages: Creole, English, and French, as well as music from the participantsโ€™ countries. The local population and visitors will all be encouraged to participate in the spirit of the carnival and all its various activities.

Seychelles is also expected to add its own floats to the procession and feature the attributes of its main islands, so completing the picture of a vibrant international event celebrating the fact that Seychelles remains an important, harmonious melting pot of peoples from across the world.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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