By Keith Howard
The annual Seychelles Carnival is one of the premier events hosted by the popular Indian Ocean tourist destination. Every year arrivals come from Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East to enjoy Seychelles luxury holidays among the music, dancing, cultural displays, and great food. The 2012 event should have no trouble living up to the hype, especially if UAE airline Emirates has anything to say about it.
Emirates have been a sponsor of the event in years past. This year they are the Official Airline of 2012 Carnival, and have begun a new promotion designed to get more of Seychelles’ youth directly involved in the celebration. To that end they have launched a drawing contest to encourage young Seychellois to help the airline designed its 2012 float entry. Float builders will incorporate the winning drawing into their design, though to what extent has not been disclosed.
To participate, students must be between the ages of 6 and 12, and must be able to embrace the theme of this year’s festival, which is “Mix of Cultures.” Emirates are asking all the drawings to include dancers from various cultures around the world including Asia and South America. Emirates’ Manager for the Indian Ocean, Oomar Ramtoola, told reporters that his airline is “extremely pleased to launch this competition in the Seychelles,” noting that the drawing contest will hopefully encourage participation among the nation’s youth.
“Emirates supported the Seychelles Carnival last year, and we recently announced that we will be the Official Airline for the 2012 Carnival,” he added. “This drawing competition is yet another demonstration of our involvement in this major event.”
The Seychelles Ministry of Tourism has also made known its pleasure in working with Emirates. Their relationship is just one of many that have been cultivated over the past couple of years as the Ministry has worked diligently to raise Seychelles’ profile on the world travel stage. Last year she saw a steady increase in arrivals over 2010, a trend that is expected to continue through 2012 and even into next year.
Carnival officials are cognizant of all the work that’s been done thus far and are planning an event to top all others. Seychelles Carnival 2012 will be held in Victoria to from March 2-4. Tourists planning to visit Seychelles this year could not pick a better time to go. There will be representatives from 38 countries contributing the best of the best, from their own carnivals, to the Seychelles event. There will be plenty of colourful floats, live music, and interactive events for visitors of all ages. There’s still time to book your holiday now if you don’t want to miss what promises to be one of the most spectacular carnivals of the 2012 season.
Your best option for booking your Seychelles luxury holidays is Airworld Tours, the UK-based luxury holiday company specialising in great prices on deals in the Indian Ocean, Caribbean, and Mediterranean