Ahmed Adheed Abdul Gafoor, the Maldives Minister responsible for Tourism, Arts and Culture, and Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles newly-appointed Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, took the opportunity of the ITB Tourism Trade Fair in Berlin for them to meet and exchange ideas on working together.

The two ministers agreed that Seychelles and Maldives complemented each other and that with the working collaboration that already existed between Seychelles and La Reunion through their move to jointly co-host the 2012 Carnaval International de Victoria, the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Carnival, more Indian Ocean Islands could find reasons to develop long-term and fruitful partnerships.

Maldives is known as beautiful coral islands, Seychelles on its part offers diversity through their granitic islands and large coral islands offering unique island hopping holidays, and La Reunion on its part remains known for its “Swiss Styled” mountains and its passive volcano.

“The three islands can offer unique tropical holidays, and the time had come to spell that to the world,” Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister, said to the press at ITB.

Discussions also centered on Maldives becoming a co-host of the 2013 Carnaval International de Victoria alongside Seychelles and La Reunion. “Having just held a successful edition of the Indian Ocean Carnival in Seychelles, we are now moving to consolidate our partners for the next edition and for future editions. We remain sincere in our bid to rally tourism-dependent countries from the ‘Equator Region’ to work together to make the carnival that is staged annually in the Seychelles the event that places our region firmly on the tourist map. We need to have an open mind and a fresh approach to tourism and its marketing,” Alain St.Ange said.

The Maldives Minister, Mr. Ahmed Adheed Abdul Gafoor, also spoke to the press at ITB and confirmed his discussions with the Seychelles Minister and that he was analyzing the proposition to make Maldives another Co-Host of the Carnaval International de Victoria alongside Seychelles and La Reunion.