COULD THE SEYCHELLES GET A TOURISM POLICE FORCE ANYTIME SOON?
(Posted 02nd November 2017)
(The one and only participant of the Notting Hill Carnival group attending
the Festival Kreol 2017 dressed in a carnival like outfit – and she made waves)
Normality has returned to the streets of Victoria after last weekend’s parade and a series of concerts and functions held as part of the annual Festival Kreol programme. It is back to work for those thousands who attended one, many or even all of the public events of the Festival, which ran from the 20th to the 31st of October.
Next year, the 33rd anniversary of the launch of this hugely important festival, will no doubt see some changes compared to this year’s edition, which was attempting to marry the Carnaval de Carnivals, the Carnival International de Victoria with the Festival Kreol.
Past parades attended, three previous ones to be precise, projected the Creole culture into the centre of Victoria, which claims the byname ‘Kapital Lemonn Kreol’ or in English the Creole Capital of the World and sparks flew between performers and spectators, the latter often impromptu joining the dances and songs, a true sign of how the displays touched their hearts and minds.
The Notting Hill Carnival, when they return next year and indications are they will, should bring with them plans to hold a seminar again, as they did several times in the past, of how to create the most colourful costumes and transform truck platforms into floats which send the crowd into a frenzy like oftentimes the case during past Carnivals.
The concept of celebrating a stand alone Festival Kreol is valid and almost crucially important to the Seychelles – and other members of the Creole nation in other parts of the world – and promoting poetry, fashion, dance, games but also architecture and not the least food strikes into the hearts of the locals who can showcase their culture and heritage to visitors from around the world.
Meanwhile, while on Mahe for the past week, did suggestions emerge that a tourism police force may be in the offing – my home country of Uganda now has more than 1.500 police wo/men serve under their Commander Afande Wilson Omoding – and it has made a huge difference of how Destination Uganda is being perceived by visitors from abroad.
Should the Seychelles really go ahead and launch a dedicated police unit, and have them patrol popular stretches of beach and other tourism attractions, it will no doubt be a huge bonus for how the archipelago is seen by visitors who know that their well being and safety are the top priority of the Seychelles government.
More information about Destination Seychelles can be found via the following links: www.seychelles.travel and www.seychellestourismboard.travel
