Picturesque island of La Digue to make strong entrance at 2011 Seychelles Carnaval International de Victoria

La Digue Island is gearing up to make a strong representation at the forthcoming 2011 Seychelles “Carnaval International de Victoria,” due to be held between March 4-6, 2011.

Seychelles’ third largest island plans to enter the carnival with a 50-strong float named “L’ame de La Digue” upon which a troupe of dancers will dance the “madilo” to the accompaniment of musicians playing a variety of Seychelles traditional instruments. The La Digue Island float will showcase its traditional ox-cart for which the island of La Digue is renowned, as well as local artisans weaving coconut leaf hats. These are both scenes for which Seychelles most traditional island is famous.

Three days of Seychelles Carnival will start with an opening ceremony attended by Seychelles President James Michel and a number of visiting dignitaries followed by two days of live music performed by various international bands, a carnival procession, array of international food stalls, family fun day, and all-night party.

Alain St.Ange, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, himself a born and bred La Digue Islander, said that it was encouraging to see a small community get together to promote their unique island to the world alongside the many international carnival floats descending on Seychelles. “The Seychelles Tourism Board has promised visibility to those participating in the carnival, and we can now confirm that a large contingent of press and television will be flying to the Seychelles to cover our carnival. We invited Seychelles tourism dependent islands, businesses, and icons to get involved in the 2011 Seychelles carnival to promote their own individual unique attractions,” Alain St.Ange said.

Seychelles is a tourism island destination that offers diversity in hotels and resorts on its granitic and on the its flat coral islands with the world’s award-winning clean and white sandy beaches. Seychelles is also known for being a destination blessed with a perpetual summer climate as it has no winter and falls just outside the cyclonic belt. “These are some of our unique selling points, but we have to tell that to the world, and it remains the industry’s duty to promote itself when such an opportunity or event as a carnival that will be covered by world press and televisions is made available on the islands,” Alain St.Ange said.