Minister Alain St. Ange, the Seychelles Minister for Tourism & Culture, met with chief members of the Seychelles Ocean Festival committee: Director General of Seychelles’ Maritime Safety Administration, Capt. Valmont; CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Sherin Naiken; P.S for Tourism, Anne Lafortune; Director of Marketing, Rosemarie Hoareau; Tourism Consultant, Glynn Burridge and Events Manager Beryl Matatiken at Tourism Board headquarters at ESPACE Building on this Thursday to discuss the 2015 Seychelles Ocean Festival.
Top on the agenda of the meeting was the structure of the Seychelles Ocean Festival which, as of this year, replaces SUBIOS (Sub-Indian Ocean Seychelles) which has been Seychelles chief maritime event since 1990. Discussions focused on the architecture of the new event which is designed to showcase Seychelles’ extraordinary marine heritage and those water-based attributes which make it such a popular holiday destination.
“The time has come to move away from SUBIOS which has been on the scene for more than two decades,” explained Alain St.Ange, “and to redesign it to reflect the wider potential of Seychelles’ marine scene, particularly in the light of the evolution of the Blue Economy. While Seychelles’ appeal as a diving destination remains at its core, we will see the Seychelles Ocean Festival evolve in the coming years to encompass other elements as well.”
While the final structure of the new festival is still being worked on, the new event will have its official opening on Friday, 4th December 2015 against the backdrop of a flotilla of lit boats in front of the new Eden Island Clubhouse and features are expected to include a photographic exhibition of Seychelles and the Sea, a dedicated yacht race and fishing exhibition and live entertainment.
The festival will continue on Saturday 5th December with a Blue Economy Investment Forum and special Gala Dinner at Eden Bleu Hotel complete with guest speakers, film screenings, auction and sale of local works of art, live entertainment as well as the sale of raffle tickets for a number of star prizes.
The Seychelles Ocean Festival will continue with the traditional Family Fun Day at Beau Vallon on Sunday 6th, complete with Iron Man & Woman triathlon event, 5-aside football competition, Bazar La Brinn-style attractions, live music performances and local NGO participation.
The entire week from 4th to 11th December is expected to be filled with festival-dedicated events as hotels come on board with themed soirees while dive centres offer discounted dive packages and free intro dives. There are plans for interesting interviews with famous personalities both on TV and radio during that week and also for festival-linked quizzes.
“While we are still finalising its exact structure, it is thrilling to see a new event taking shape with every day that passes – an event to do Seychelles proud!” concluded Minister St.Ange.
