The Seychelles Tourism Board has pledged its continuous support towards the organisation and promotion of the Festival Kreol — an annual celebration of the Creole culture and heritage.
Seychelles is this year hosting the 32nd edition of the festival.
aTP- Arab tourism portal News- Speaking at a press conference on Friday October 27, STB’s Deputy Chief Executive, Jenifer Sinon said the event is one that allows the country to showcase its tradition to the rest of the world, which she described as a plus for the tourism industry, highlighting the fact that October is a peak month for visitor arrivals to the island destination.
The joint Press Conference was also attended by the Minister for Youth, Sports & Culture Mitcy Larue and Chief Executive of the Creative Industries and National Events Agency [CINEA] Galen Bresson. It was an opportunity for local media organisations and international press covering the festival to meet with the organisers and ask questions about the various activities.
It is the first time that CINEA, which has been tasked with organising all major events in Seychelles, is organising the Festival Kreol, as well as the former Carnaval International de Victoria previously organized by the Seychelles Tourism Board. The carnival has now been merged with the traditional serenade held during Festival kreol each October and will this year unfold as the International Creole parade.
Most of the journalists were interested to know more about the International Creole parade which will be held on Saturday October 28.
It was revealed at the press conference that the event will be seeing the participation of 12 international floats from South Africa, Reunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues, India, and Notting Hill as well some 21 local floats. The floats will depart Boise de Rose Avenue at 3.00pm, going down Francis Rachel Street, past the clock tower and Independence Avenue before ending at Freedom Square, with key stops included along the way for the participants to entertain the public.
The parade will end with the presentation of prizes to the best three local floats and the top three international floats, which will be followed by a show where a local artist, Hudson Dorothe, who has made important contributions towards the development of the local music industry will be honoured.
As it has been the case for past Festival Kreol and the former Carnaval international de Victoria held since 2011, STB has brought in a number of foreign press to cover this year’s events in keeping up with its objective of giving added visibility to Seychelles as a tourist destination. Some 30 international press members hailing from various countries including South Africa, Russia, China, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Mauritius, Reunion island and Ghana, are covering the festival this year.
Ms Sinon said: “STB is happy that it has been able to support this event, sharing the experiences we have gained in previous years. The carnival was a platform that allowed us to showcase our culture, and our people which makes us stand out in this competitive tourism sphere. We are pleased that the carnival has now been merged with Festival Kreol. We have managed to bring in a number of press partners from across the globe and we are prepared to bring in more press next year as we have a rich culture which needs to be showcased to the world as this will set us apart as a tourist destination.”
Both Minister Mitcy Larue and Mr Bresson who are involved in organising the Festival Kreol for the first time this year, have said that the aim is to have an even better festival next year. They both said that they will be taking into account the strengths and weaknesses observed this year and will be bringing together various stakeholders including the private sector, artists, the general public among others to ensure that everyone can contribute ideas and take ownership of the events before launching the 2018 festival.
