Sesel sa! Get your camera rolling to show Seychelles through the eyes of an islander

Children on La Digue -- Seychelles third most populated island riding an ox-cart. The creole way of life, beaches, wild life among other features are to be recorded by islanders wishing to take part in a national video contest. (Gerard Larose, Seychelles Tourism Board)

(Seychelles News Agency) - Visitors to the Seychelles' shores often capture the incredible shots of the islands’ powder white beaches, clear turquoise ocean, green lush vegetation and the general Creole way of life.

But just how good is a typical Seychellois at portraying the idyllic honeymoon getaway?

That is exactly what the Seychelles Tourism Board hopes to find out through a national video competition which seeks to get the islanders to depict and showcase Seychelles to potential tourists.

Themed ‘Sesel Sa!’ [This is Seychelles!] the competition is the local version of an international video competition launched last year that encouraged non-residents to show their Seychelles experience.

Launching the video contest on Wednesday the Tourism Board’s chief executive Sherin Naiken said: “Due to requests locally from people who wanted to take part in the competition last year, we are opening this year's competition for Seychellois.”

Open only to citizens of Seychelles, participants have to be 16 and above. Any recording device can be used by professionals or amateurs as long as their two-minute video meets certain requirements. Aerial shots, wild life, romantic scenes, fishing, sailing, sunsets, various aspects of the Creole culture are only some of what the judges will be on the lookout for.

To enter the competition, participants have to send an email to competitions@seychelles.travel and request a registration form which will be issued along with a list of criteria and regulations.

Videos have to be ‘inboxed’ to STB’s Facebook page or can be brought to the STB office. Participants also have to ‘like’ STB’s Facebook page before submitting their entry.

“Liking the page forms part of our social media strategy to increase our fan base social media. For participants to be able to see their submission they will have to like our page,” said Naiken

All videos submitted will be posted on Facebook so that the popularity of the video can be monitored. This is one of the criteria the panel of judges will also use to select the winner although originality is the main criteria.

The Seychelles Tourism Board’s chief executive Sherin Naiken launching the Sesel sa contest on Wednesday. (Vanessa Lucas, Seychelles Tourism Board) Photo License: CC-BY

Those wishing to get creative in showing Seychelles to the world through the eyes of an islander have until September 19. Winners will be announced on September 24. The winning prize include business class tickets on Air Seychelles to Paris for two people, two nights at the North Island Resort on full board basis, dinner at the Carana Beach Hotel and a full day catamaran cruise sponsored by Creole Travel Services.

There will also be a second and third prize.

While winners of last year’s competition for visitors won by a Romanian couple received an all-inclusive VIP holiday to Seychelles, for the local version of the competition the winner will be receiving only the plane tickets for the Paris trip and not accomodation.

“Originally we wanted to make it the business class air-ticket to Paris plus accommodations and transfers. But feedback received from the public is that they would also like to experience hotels in Seychelles,” said Naiken.

All videos made through the competition will be used by the Seychelles Tourism Board for promoting Seychelles as a tourist destination.

Tourism remains the mainstay of the Seychelles economy. The nation welcomes over 200,000 tourists a year.