Victoria , The Seychelles ( CNN ) -- The Seychelles is perhaps best known as a vacation destination ; with its pristine blue waters and picture-perfect beaches , it 's no wonder the smattering of islands ( 155 in total ) off the coast of Madagascar has for generations wooed Hollywood 's top brass . As it happens , there 's more to the island nation than just sun and sea . For four years , it has also played host to the Seychelles International Carnival , an international event which even in its infancy manages to attract over 1,500 participants from across the globe . The carnival attracts a truly international crowd , with 26 out of the 55 parade floats run by foreign countries . This year , the event attracted Chinese acrobats , Himalayan musicians , gold-plated Indonesian spectators and one American country singer . `` It 's called Carnival International , which means the world is coming together , '' says Alain St. Ainge , the country 's minister of tourism and culture . `` Even the United Nations , when they meet , you find politics overtakes the important things of listening to each other . In the Seychelles , people come here and we forget our politics , we forget our religion , forget the color of skin . ''
It holds an annual international festival . This year , people came from Malaysia , Indonesia and the United States . This year , more than 500 people took part .