5th Tourism Festival set for Sept. 24 – Oct. 1 |12 September 2022
PS Francis (Photo: Joena Meme)
- ‘Rethinking Tourism – Experience our culture’
The 5th Tourism Festival will take place from Saturday September 24 to October 1, 2022 and will kick start with its official launch at l’Union Estate, La Digue on the September 24.
Under the theme, ‘Rethinking Tourism’, this year’s festival will allow tourists and local to experience our culture.
This was announced by the principal secretary for Tourism, Sherin Francis, in a press meet at the Botanical House last week.
“This year we are doing things differently and we want the tourists and locals to experience our culture and we have chosen La Digue as it has always been associated with our culture. This year it will be 50 years since our airport was opened and we can say that this was the start of our tourism industry also,” Mrs Francis said.
PS Francis shared the calendar of activities and the public is invited to take part and promote our cultural activities.
Saturday September 24 – Launch of the 5th Tourism Festival at l’Union Estate at La Digue – Le Rendez-Vous Diguois, where there will be a cultural fair from 10am to 6pm and from 6pm to 8pm there will be local entertainment.
Sunday September 25 – Le Rendez-Vous Diguois continues at l’Union Estate from 10am to 6pm.
On that day also, there will be the transmission of the interview conducted by the nine year old Ellie of Joenise Juliette on The Seychelles Islands official YouTube channel at 8pm.
Monday September 26 – Launch of the Biodiversity Heritage Tour at 9am at the Biodiversity Centre, Barbarons. Three times a day – 9am, 11am and 2pm – there will be the heritage tours and the public will be able to buy the ‘Tisanes Locale’ at the Biodiversity Café.
At 8pm, on the Seychelles Islands official YouTube channel, 8-year-old Lee will be interviewing Ryan Chetty.
Tuesday September 27 – World Tourism Day message by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism on the Tourism Seychelles official Facebook page at 8am.
On this day, the Tourism department’s Meet & Greet Event will take place on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. From 9am to 12 noon, there will be tea infusions and snacks plus traditional instrumental music by Reviv Band at the Botanical Gardens on Mahé. On Praslin, with the partnership of La Pirogue Restaurant, from 3pm to 6pm there will be tea infusions and snacks plus the traditional Kanmtole Dance show by the Tropical Stars Band.
On La Digue at l’Union Estate, from 3pm to 6pm there will be tea infusions and snacks and the traditional Mardilo Dance Show by Masezarine Group at the Grann Kaz.
Also on Tuesday September 27, The Tourism Pioneers unveiling ceremony will take place at 10am at the Seychelles Tourism Academy. The activity is by invitation only.
Featuring on the Seychelles Islands official YouTube channel will be an interview of local artist and potter Mickey Arnephy conducted by 11-year-old Stephen.
Wednesday September 28 – The day will start with an Interfaith Mass (venue to be announced later) followed by the finale of the Concours d’Expression Orale at the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (SITE) from 8.30am to 4pm and this one will be by invitation only.
On the same day, featuring on the Seychelles Islands official YouTube channel will be the interview of local photographer Michel Desnousse conducted by 10-year-old Sheinaz.
Thursday September 29 – There will be a Lospitalite Tourism Club Fair at the UniSey campus from 9am to 2pm. This event will showcase numerous services and employment opportunities offered by the tourism industry in Seychelles.
On the Seychelles Islands official YouTube channel we will see the interview of local artist and director Christine Chetty conducted by 8-year-old Tyler.
Friday September 30 – There will be two activities by invitation only: Tourism Club Quiz prize giving ceremony and the press launch of immersive community experiences.
At 8pm, 5-year-old Heloise will interview local dancer and choreographer Ruth Barbe and which will be aired on the Seychelles Islands official YouTube channel.
The Tourism Festival will end on Saturday October 1 with the Lospitalite Award Ceremony at Kempinski Seychelles Resort at 6.30pm by invitation only.
“Under the Lospitalite programme, we invited partners in the industry to nominate one person for that award. This will be the first award and we want to end the programme with that,” concluded Mrs Francis.
Vidya Gappy