Mauritius Journalist writes that Victoria of the Seychelles is the cultural crossroad of the world
Almasalla Arab Travel Portal News – Jean Clement Cangy, the highly respecter journalist of Mauritius who publishes many reports for Le Mauricien of the island writes that week that Mr Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible and President of the Vanilla Islands is winning the bet hé has been making year after year to make the Carnaval International de Victoria, the Carnival of Carnivals bigger and for it to become the cultural crossroad of the world.
Confirmed that their will be some twenty international delegations participating in the fourth edition of the Carnaval International de Victoria at the end of April 2014: the Carnaval of Sao Paulo Brazil, the one from Notting Hill, the Carnaval of Düsseldorf, the one from Indonesia, among the most popular one. Last year the Mauritius delegation won the second prize of the carnaval, and the Seychelles has not lost lost hope that they will once more this year see the participation of Mauritius. The twenty off delegations coming from different corners of the world are all in Seychelles ready to showcase their very own culture and their people. The delegation from O Carnaval de Sao Paulo, is made up of some twenty artists, dancers of samba and drummers.
« This carnival 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.”, said Alain St.Ange, the Minister of Tourism and Culture of the Seychelles. And he adds:“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”.
This fourth edition of the Carnaval International de Victoria has as co-host apart from the Seychelles, La Réunion, Madagascar, Mayotte and South Africa KwaZulu Natal and it is an event that appears on the Vanilla Islands calendar of events. The Kreol Magazine that is published in London and that spells out the ever increasing dynamism of the spirit of Créolité across the world, speaks about the concept of the Vanilla Islands in its last edition « The Vanilla Islands is a massive marketing concept dreamt up by Alain St.Ange and ministers from La Réunion, Mauritius, Madagascar, and other smaller Indian Ocean island nations to jointly promote the various attractions the region has to offer to tourists from around the globe. The project is just two years old, but is already gaining the necessary traction for success.” writes the Kreol Magazine, where Mrs Georgina Dhillon is its Director.
Last Tuesday in the Mauritius Parliament Minister Sik-Yuen made the following declaration:“ As I have said before, the project is being developed. That said the Vanilla Islands project did not have funds to finance this unit. It is only last December that the Vanilla Islands received funds from the Fonds de Dévéloppement Economique Régional (FEDER) and from the La Reunion Region to the level of 500 000 euros. » (…) Also, the “Iles Vanille” concept has afforded an opportunity to market the destination as part of twin and multi-destination packages to tourists on the look-out of such products. Moreover, the inter-island tourism will help to develop the cruise segment from Mauritius. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is no doubt that benefits will be reaped under the “Iles Vanille” concept, in time to come.”
