The Seychelles Tourism Board has confirmed the dates of the 2016 edition of the island’s Carnaval International de Victoria, the event set to continue to bring together the different cultures and people from around the world to one place.
Dubbed as the ‘carnival of carnivals’, Carnaval International de Victoria, now going into its sixth year will be held from April 22 to 24. “Nothing is more uniting, and nothing promotes social cohesion more than ‘festivals’ to which all people contribute,” said Minister Alain St.Ange, the island’s Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture following discussions with Claire Holder of the Notting Hill Carnival of the UK on their participation once again.
Minister St.Ange announced that the Celebration of ‘National Unity’ will be the theme of Carnival 2016 in Seychelles. This spectacular event held over three days in the heart of the Seychelles capital Victoria was baptised under the theme ‘the melting pot of cultures’.The carnival has received great visibility since 2011 with representatives from top media houses, including Tourism Tattler coming from Africa, Europe, Middle East, Americas, Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Over the past five years, the carnival has been known to be the biggest cultural manifestation in Seychelles, bringing together the best carnivals of the world to its shores such as the Brazilian group, the Notting Hill Carnival Roadshow Company of the UK , Düsseldorf carnival of Germany, the Italy Carnival, the Indonesian Carnival to name but a few. Cultural Troupes from the Community of Nations have also descended on the islands to parade alongside with delegations of the best carnivals of the world.
The carnival celebrated its fifth anniversary last year where again top international dignitaries graced the three-day event with their presence. The Seychelles Carnaval International de Victoria continues to establish a close correlation between carnival attractions that bring together the arts, culture, history and heritage of Seychelles as it works in tandem with other countries who are proud of their own culture to showcase to the world media the unity through diversity and this immaterial of the colour of the skin, religious beliefs and political affiliation.
“Today we know that the Seychelles Carnaval International de Victoria has carved itself a unique place in the culture of Carnival, in that our carnaval invites the world to participate. There is no doubt that the Carnival has become an important feature in the calendrical cycle of tourism in Seychelles. However we also know that our carnaval needs to be more grounded in the history and culture of Seychelles, which Seychelles invites the world to experience. This we shall be working on for the coming edition in April” said Minister St.Ange .
The Seychelles Carnaval International de Victoria remains a simple celebration of diversity and is a very important catalyst for conflict resolution and togetherness, and an instrument for telling the history of globalisation as it impacts on tourism destinations.
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