Emirates Airlines sponsors major Seychelles holidays attraction

Emirates Airlines has announced that they will be the proud sponsors of the 2012 Seychelles Carnival for the second year running. The carnival, also known as “Carnaval International de Victoria” is one of the key events for the archipelago, set to take place from the 2nd- 4th March 2012.

The Seychelles tourism board has gone all out to promote the event offering discounted “Carnival rates” for all holidaymakers planning holidays to the Seychelles at the Seychelles hotels of their choice.

The three day spectacle is likely to be a key selling point for tourists planning their 2012 seychelles holidays with representatives of the best Carnivals from across the globe given a stage to showcase what their countries have to offer. In the 2011 edition of the event, a total of 65 local and international floats took part in the celebrations including Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China, France, Italy and the United Kingdom.

The Carnival is seen as an opportunity to unify the region and the world, its chances for success will be greatly improved with a collaborative effort from the tourism board and the Emirates airlines. Alain St Ange, CEO of the Seychelles Tourism board stated, “As we congratulate Emirates for being the official partner airline for this unique event, we also say thank you to them for helping to make the event more visible and more known. Their direct support remains vital and crucial”.

The sponsorship announcement follows a recent strengthening of the relationship between Emirates, one of the key airlines offering affordable flights to the Seychelles, and the island group’s Tourism Board. At the November 2011 Dubai Air Show, Emirates senior vice president Sheikh Majid Al Mualla and Alain St.Ange, CEO of Seychelles tourism board, signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at promoting the Seychelles. “We strongly believe in the Seychelles as a destination and it is with this frame of mind that we will continue to work with the Seychelles Tourism Board for the future campaigns” Sheikh Majid Al Mualla said.

The partnership between the two will contribute to a growth in the already successful Seychelles tourism industry. The beautiful islands, located in the exotic India Ocean, have proved to be a popular holiday destination as the number of people taking Seychelles holidays this year exceeded the forecasted figures with a record breaking 174530 visitors and counting.