More press than ever to cover Vanilla Islands carnival

It is reported from the islands of the Seychelles and La Reunion that arrangements for their March 2012 carnival is gathering momentum. More press than ever before seen in the Indian Ocean region have confirmed that they will visit the Vanilla Islands to cover the 2012 carnival, which will this time around be jointly hosted by the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and the IRT (Ile Reunion Tourisme).

Marymonde Matatiken, who heads the Celebrate Seychelles Events Department, has confirmed the unbelievable numbers of various world press who will be arriving in the Seychelles with options of visiting the carnival co-host, the island of La Reunion, that lies but some two hours from Seychelles. Pascal Viroleau, the Head of La Reunion Tourism, has informed the Carnival Secretariat that La Reunion will host a culinary extravaganza after the carnival to ensure that the visiting press can experience the best in cuisine variety under the same theme that carnival itself is held – the melting pot of cultures.

“It is important for as many press to get to La Reunion after covering the carnival in Seychelles, and we are working hand in hand with La Reunion to make this a win-win for the Vanilla Islands drive,” Alain St.Ange, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, said.

Carnival adverts and write ups are all scheduled to hit readers in the four corners of the world as soon as the end-of-year festive season is over. Carnival specialist, “Soca News,” in the UK is one of the mediums contracted by Lena Hoareau, the Seychelles PR and News Bureau Manager in the UK, to work with Seychelles and La Reunion for their 2012 carnival. Emirates, the Official Sponsor of the Carnival, is said to be looking at publishing a feature story about the 2012 “Carnaval International de Victoria” in their in-flight magazine early in 2012. Partner magazines in Singapore and the Far East have also been contracted to bring the colors of the carnival of Seychelles and La Reunion to their readers from January next year.

In the meantime, it is believed that early in 2012, the countdown to the carnival will take place in Seychelles where all merchandising will be launched, the carnival 2012 song aired, and the first announcements on confirmed participants made. “We are overjoyed by the support from the Community of Nations. So many delegations have already confirmed they will be making their way to Seychelles for the carnival in March,” Marymonde Matatiken said.

Two radio stations coming from South Africa and Dubai have also already confirmed that they will be broadcasting live from Seychelles during the three days of the carnival in 2012. Dertour, one of the largest German Tour Operators, is alone making arrangements for ten press from Germany to be in Seychelles to cover the event.

“We have surpassed our own expectations from the interest by the International Media. The carnival is set to highlight the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands as a tourism region and Seychelles and La Reunion can already feel proud of the event they are jointly staging,” Alain St.Ange said.