During the Arabian Travel Market 2012, Seychelles’ Tourism Board CEO, Elsia Grandcourt, focused efforts on the forging of relationships with other tourism authorities in the region to cooperate on joint initiatives.

Part of these meetings included in-depth discussions with the Egyptian Hotel Association Chairman, Mr. Tawfik Kamal, who expressed keen interest to work with the Seychelles Tourism Board.

A further meeting was held with the Egyptian Minister of Tourism, Mounir Fakhry AbdelNour, at the Arabian Travel Market fair in the presence of the Seychelles Ambassador to the UAE, Dick Esparon, and Pierre DelPlace, General Manager, Le Meridien Dahab Resort, Egypt, in which a special invitation has been extended for the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture to visit Egypt.

The CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board briefed the Egyptian Minister on the Seychelles Carnaval International de Victoria and extended an invitation on behalf of the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture, for Egypt to participate in next year’s 3rd edition of the Carnaval International de Victoria, set to take place from February 8-10, 2013.

Minister Mounir has welcomed this invitation and has expressed the willingness to have an Egyptian delegation participate at the only carnival that allows other countries to come and showcase the diversity of their culture. This year’s Carnaval International de Victoria was co-hosted by the Indian Ocean islands of La Reunion.

Further discussions also were centered around the similarities that the 2 countries share in tourism and the rich diversity in culture.