SEYCHELLES EXCEL AGAIN – CARNIVAL FESTIVAL ATTRACTS COPY CATS ALREADY

CARNIVAL FESTIVAL A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

The well attended first ever Seychelles Carnival Festival, which ended early this week, drew spectators from afar and in fact from across the globe to the archipelago, and what they saw did not disappoint. Political delegations and ‘snoops’ from various tourist boards too came to the Seychelles, as guests and as paying visitors, to assess the impact of the festival on the country’s tourism sector before returning home and scheming up ‘copy cats’ for coming years.

In particular the Zimbabwean delegation, upon returning home, was widely reported to have commented favourably on their experience, vowing to replicate a carnival festival in Harare – claims taken with a pinch of salt though considering recent temporary occupations of hospitality businesses by regime goons and government’s intention to – if necessary by decree, i.e. force – take over the majority in tourism related business enterprises.

Other more down to earth delegations spoke of ‘a wonderful experience’ and compared the Seychelles Carnival Festival already with the more established parades and performances in the better known carnival countries of Europe and South America.

Hotels and resorts report a major inflow of guests for the festival period and tourist were reportedly too vowing to return for next year’s edition, which will undoubtedly become a major feature in the archipelago’s tourism calendar similar to SUBIOS and the Creole Festival activities.

But most of all did the participating private sector of the tourism industry and the Seychelles Tourist Board and their public sector colleagues drawn into the organisation receive praise for a flawless execution of the planned programme and for putting the global spotlight on the country.

Well done all round and plenty of bouquets for Team Seychelles and barbs for the copy cats who should truly invent something original of their own.