Seychellois travelling to Dubai for Expo 2020 study up on nation's history and culture

The Dubai Expo 2020 was originally scheduled for October 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. (Jimmy Baikovicius, Flickr) Photo License: CC BY-SA 2.0

(Seychelles News Agency) - Staff who will represent Seychelles at the Expo 2020 in Dubai attended a one-day training to learn more about the different components of the island nation's pavilion.

Under the theme 'Preserve Nature', Seychelles will feature in the sustainability pavilion of the world event scheduled for October 1 to March 31, 2022.

The Dubai Expo 2020 was originally scheduled for October 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The assistant commissioner of Seychelles Expo 2020, Gaelen Bresson, told reporters on Tuesday that during the training "staff will learn about the different components of the expo which includes the blue economy, the green economy, the history of Seychelles, the culture among others."

"When they will be in the Seychelles' pavilion, the staff will need to know information on diverse aspects of the country such as its economy, culture, and history so that they will be in a better position to talk to visitors to the pavilion," said Bresson.

In the training session, different departments and sectors carried out presentations to provide the necessary information. The over 40 staff also met with different experts in the country in various fields to ensure that they have the latest information. 

"I got the chance to explain to them how things will operate during the expo, what they should expect, we talked about accommodations, SOPs in place, conditions under which we will be working, hours of operation which will be from 7 am to 11 pm," Bresson continued.

Bresson also outlined that application forms are still available at the National Arts Council for those who want to take part.

The assistant commissioner of Seychelles Expo 2020 will be the first representative of the island nation to arrive at the Expo on September 3. The largest group is set to arrive on September 25.

In a previous interview, Bresson said that the highlight for the Seychelles' pavilion will be on October 28. On that date when the island nation celebrates the Creole identity of its people, a national day will be observed at the Expo.

He said that the full list of activities that Seychelles will carry out at the Expo will be revealed at a later date. Seychelles will be celebrating International Moutya Day in Dubai.

During the six-month exhibition, the 115 islands archipelago in the western Indian Ocean will have the chance to market itself to the world, as it is estimated that around 20 million people are expected to visit the Expo.

Businesses and groups participating in the exposition are self-funding their trip as the government is not doing so.

"The Relations Band, for example, has decided to do a two- to three-hour show on October 27. On the cultural side, this is a really interesting opportunity. The atmosphere of the expo is not the same as when a person pays for a ticket for a music show. There will be different stages on which there will be different performances at the same time," said Bresson.

In December, the Enterprise Seychelles Agency will take a group of businesses making 100 percent made-in-Seychelles products to take part in the Christmas bazaar.