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Archives for May 2020

Countries Approved for Entry into Seychelles

May 30, 2020 by PressEditor

At its last review on the May 28, 2020, the Seychelles Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) identified a number of countries as low risk. In conducting its review, PHEOC considered the following criteria:

  • Magnitude of transmission
  • Trend in outbreak
  • Low incidence of cases
  • Responsiveness of the public health system
  • Advisories from Public Health Authorities
  • Reliability of data

PHEOC recommended to the Public Health Commissioner that the following countries could be designated low risk.

Risk assessment is dynamic, and the list of countries will be kept under constant review and may be amended.

  1. Australia
  2. Austria
  3. Botswana
  4. China
  5. Croatia
  6. Greece
  7. Hungary
  8. Israel
  9. Japan
  10. Luxembourg
  11. Mauritius
  12. Monaco
  13. Namibia
  14. New Zealand
  15. Norway
  16. Slovakia
  17. Slovenia
  18. Switzerland
  19. Thailand

The PHEOC has also examined the progress of the epidemic in other countries and identified the following countries where the epidemic appears to be under good control and, therefore, recommended to the Public Health Commissioner that entry from these countries could be considered with effect from mid-July 2020.

The PHEOC will continue to monitor the situation in these and other countries to further advise the Public Health Commissioner.

  1. Albania
  2. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  3. Bulgaria
  4. Cyprus
  5. Denmark
  6. Estonia
  7. Finland
  8. France
  9. Germany
  10. Ireland
  11. Italy
  12. Latvia
  13. Lithuania
  14. Malta
  15. Netherlands
  16. Serbia
  17. South Korea

More news about Seychelles.

#rebuildingtravel

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, [email protected] 

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Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: PHEOC, Tel, the Seychelles Public Health Emergency Operations Centre

Seychelles Issues New Travel Guidelines in Preparations for Borders to Open in June 2020

May 29, 2020 by PressEditor

The Seychelles Department of Tourism issued its ‘Seychelles Safety Travel Guidelines’ preceding the re-opening of its borders scheduled on June 1, 2020.

The guidelines, based on the advice of the Public Health Authority, provides necessary recommendations for tourism related business providers to resume operations in a safe manner while also targeting potential visitors planning to visit the destination.

These series of guidelines, made available to the public through the department’s website, is the stepping-stone for the small island destination to reposition itself on the international market as a responsible holiday destination.

“The guidelines clearly details what needs to be put in place before businesses can welcome guests into their establishments and this includes sanitation and hygiene measures in order to protect locals and visitors,” said the Principal Secretary Mrs. Anne Lafortune at a press conference held by the Ministry for Tourism on Wednesday May 27, 2020.

Mrs. Lafortune further stated that the Seychelles Safety Travel Guidelines also specifies the new criteria for assessment under which establishments will be scrutinized before they are certified adequate to operate.

Seychelles Department of Tourism has announced, during the same press conference, that the destination will be reopening its shores to visitors in 2 phases and that all decisions made by the authority will be based on the strict approval of the Public Health Authority.

Phase one of the re-opening of the borders, which will be effective as of June 1, 2020, will include the lift in air travel restrictions on the destination will be subjected to maximum control.

As part of the safety measures being imposed by the destination, it will be compulsory for all visitors entering the Seychelles to take a Covid-19 test 48 hours prior to disembarking on the Pointe Larue International Airport. A health fee of fifty dollars will have to be incurred on grounds to cover further local health procedures imposed by the Public Health Authority as part of the new requirements.

Phase 1 will also limit the movement of visitors around the inner islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. In order to ensure maximum control, all-inclusive resorts and islands resorts will be recommended to visitors as they provide the opportunity to have guests in a self-contained environment while enjoying their holiday in paradise and respecting the social distancing measures.

Speaking about the ‘Seychelles Safety Travel Guidelines’; the Seychelles Tourism Board Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis stated that the measures are very important for the destination to follow.

“Safety comes first and as a destination we are committed to limit the risks of any eventual infection on our shores for our visitors and our local inhabitants. We are definitely encouraging all our partners to familiarize themselves with the requirements and implement them as we get ready to be start operating under the new normal,” said Mrs. Francis.

She further stated that the new steps taken by the destination adds to the marketing value of the Seychelles and encourages tourism trade partners to use the certificate issued by the department as a Unique Selling Point for their businesses. 

“The data collected in our recent researches points that the new travel trends shows people have expressed the desire to reconnect with nature and families.  As a destination, we are somehow isolated and have beautiful natural sceneries, which is an excellent marketing opportunity for us, “said Mrs. Francis. 

For more information about the guidelines, the public is advised to visit the Department of Tourism website on the following link http://tourism.gov.sc/covid-19-guidelines/

More news about Seychelles.

#rebuildingtravel

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, [email protected]  www.seychelles.travel

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Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: Anne Lafortune, COVID–19, Fraport, Lafortune, minister, sandals, the Public Health Authority

Seychelles Tourism Board Offices Easing into the “New Normal”

May 29, 2020 by PressEditor

Tucked away in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the exotic Seychelles Islands have not been immune to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just like the rest of the world, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Team found their world shaken when WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.

The team scattered all over the globe woke up to the new reality as few of its members live in major cities fighting the battle relentlessly.

 “We are a small team and are often in contact with our colleagues abroad, it might seem strange but sometimes they do not even seem to be that far to us and I think the scariest feeling was knowing they are at risk,” said Elsie Sinon- STB Senior Destination Marketing Executive.

A sentiment, echoed by other team members thinking of their colleagues in the various offices around the world. The Destination marketing section, usually an agitated beehive has suddenly quietened as major projects have been put on hold.

Bustling cities turning into ghost towns speaks volumes about the pressing nature of the pandemic. The fast pace of cities such as Madrid, Rome and Mumbai have drastically come to a standstill, forcing the masses to rearrange their routines and adopt new practices necessary for survival.

Based in Italy – one of the countries most hardly hit by COVID-19 – Yasmine Pocetti, STB Marketing Executive shares her emotions seeing deserted landmarks especially the St-Peter’s square during the Easter celebrations in April.

“The atmosphere for the past two months has been almost surreal with empty streets, silence and everybody locked in their houses. My only trip out, once every ten days, for weeks has been to the grocery store to buy food and essentials, a very stressing task as I was very scared to see other people or touch things, the lines and waiting were very long and had to disinfect everything once back home,” says Yasmine.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented situation resulting from it has been a shock for the world. I believe that the way our operations are configured is an advantage for us, the fact that we run mostly online has facilitated the shift from our offices to working from home. The new normal tests your power as a survivor,” says Sherin Francis- STB Chief Executive, commenting on how juggling between work and family life not always an easy task when you are confined into your home with kids.

Mother of two young girls, she says she knows the team members with children are being put to a great test. A statement confirmed by Priya Ghag- STB representative in India who is a mother of one and Monica Gonzalez LLinás, STB Marketing Executive in Spain who has six children at home.

“The big change is the schedule every day as I have 6 children at home, having online school classes. This means waking up early in the mornings, checking emails or pending work. We are extremely lucky living in a house with a private garden while most of the population in Madrid live in flats,” says Monica.

The same story is being heard from parents with young children and teenagers, as you hear the anecdotes of this COVID-19 confinement days.

Bringing about unprecedented change in our lives, the current global situation has not only introduced restrictions but also the opportunity to re-evaluate the way STB functions; on an organisational- use of our online systems more intensively -and personal level- teams feels now closer and stronger.

“Having been at STB almost 5 for years, I have never encountered such quiet times. It is almost as if this time made us realize how our contribution is important,” said Rolira Young, STB Destination Marketing Executive.

“Working from home has definitely forced some of us to accept technology, I have to admit that I now tend to accept technology more with the use of our team collaboration and work management or even virtual meetings,” said Marie-Julie Senior Public Relations Officer at the STB News Bureau.

Many team members have expressed the challenges they face trying to adapt to confinement whilst balancing work and home life to prevent the line between the two from blurring.

The pool of young professionals who do not have a family yet, conquered that being confined at home does alter your usual clock.

“It was a race! Our section’s expertise was in high demand during this time of COVID-19; as a result, we found ourselves extremely busy working on very tight deadlines, analyzing data all day and writing report and in many instances, this meant burning the midnight oil. Nevertheless, I am grateful this experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and into facing many fears head on, leading to the generation of new skills and knowledge,” said Jean-François Figaro, Senior Officer from the STB Strategic Planning and Market Intelligence section.

On the same note, Shakambri Soni, STB representative in India, says that the team has been pushing the destination hard on their end. She also mentioned that the most challenging part of working from home in this ‘lock-down’ situation is the combination of office and housework.

“Due to the abundance of information being shared on all platforms and new things coming up at odd hours of the day, it’s challenging to keep a sense of time that divides office and house work. Unlike in offices there is no longer a ‘closing time’ from work and with an air of urgency and uncertainty in our lives, no work can be left unattended or pushed ahead for the next day. Everything has become important and prioritizing is the biggest challenge now,” said Ms. Soni.

Although everyone has their different time management systems they all agree, discipline is key. Christine Vel based at the STB South African Office strongly confirms her position, “Being confined has not changed much for me, I work on my own and everything is on my laptop. I’ve made sure to keep a good routine of waking up early still and starting work the same time as usual.”

Striving to keep Seychelles visible at every single corner of the world in the new normal situation, from Brazil to Australia through the Middle East, the STB teams are ingeniously making sure that partners and clients are kept abreast with the destination and its features.

While the teams are still working in ways to be visible on media through appearances in specialized magazines and others are maximizing on online tools.

“It is important for us to keep in touch with our partners; we take pride in keeping the Seychelles warmth alive amidst these difficult times. Whilst many are acquiring news skills during the lockdown, most of our offices and team members across the globe are adapting to the new era, discovering how to promote the destination from their homes during a time where travel and physical contact are sensitive matters,” says Bernadette Willemin, Regional Director for Europe. 

The regular meetings and trainings with trade partners, in line with STB’s mandate to increase the destination’s visibility, have now transformed into webinars since the introduction of social distancing.  

Just like their STB counterparts in France and China, Ahmed Fathallah and his team in the Middle East stated that regular online meetings with partners are essentially aimed at fostering and strengthening their relationship with the travel trade partners.

“Offering options for our partners to keep their clients informed is crucial in these difficult times. People are holding on to the dreams of visiting beautiful destinations like Seychelles once COVID-19 is behind us,” added Ahmed.

The STB Brazilian team headed by Gisele Abrahao are also actively marketing Seychelles on online platforms.

“We are all working from home for the past 2 months and everything is actually working very well. We are focusing on bringing positivity to our market by highlighting the beauty of Seychelles.

The team has invited and went live with 3 influencers and have 4 more planned for the next couple of days on Seychelles,” says Gisele.

The lack of movement and freedom, two essential aspects of human nature, have forced us to re-evaluate how STB functions and operates, developing creative means of communicating and marketing.

Director for Digital Marketing, Chris Matombe and his team were in high demand as although the STB offices worldwide were compelled to close their doors to the public, the various teams are still working behind the scenes. As human interaction decreased across the globe, the STB has adapted by intensifying their focus towards digital platforms to create awareness about the tropical paradise. 

 “Interestingly it was business as usual for us. It has been an opportunity for our department to shed light on the power of digital marketing,” says Chris.

Additionally, through online campaigns, the team has been showcasing the alluring beauty of the islands; from the lush, tropical rain forests and exotic wildlife to the sandy shores and turquoise waters. These illustrations create a window of escapism during a period of crisis where confinement has made it impossible to travel, whilst sensitizing potential visitors about the Seychelles and its unique features.

The absence of tourists is a ‘foreign sight’ to most Seychellois as the archipelago has been welcoming tourists to their shores for many decades. As a result of these effects, the STB Head Office on the main island of Mahé in the Seychelles, has made several changes in their operations; having to cancel future events and focus on a strategy for the future.

“We will not forget this experience anytime soon for sure as it has proved that our creativity has no limit wherever we are! We have definitely enjoyed the flexibility. This time has been used wisely to rekindle the flames with our creativity,” said Eileen Hoareau, Graphics designer from the Print and Production section.

Altering the way we function and communicate, the COVID-19 pandemic has also reminded us of the importance of living the life we fantasize about and making the most of the moment. Standing alongside the rest of humanity during this critical time, the STB Team continuously reminds us that the world will be back on its feet again and when it does, paradise will be waiting to welcome all who have been dreaming of it.

More news about Seychelles.

#rebuildingtravel

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, [email protected]  www.seychelles.travel

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Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: airlines, cooking, Elsie Sinon- STB Senior Destination Marketing Executive, Fraport, sandals, STB, Yasmine Pocetti

The Vallée de Mai reopens

May 29, 2020 by PressEditor

As of June 1, 2020, visits to the Vallée de Mai will be possible again with the addition of a new booking system that will be in operation as of May 25. This new booking system is part of the Seychelles Islands Foundation’s (SIF) efforts to ensure the health and safety of all visitors to the Vallee de Mai and its staff during the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. Though tourist numbers are low at present, SIF believes that reopening the Vallée de Mai for visitors is an essential part of its community service, in providing a green space for the local community and the public in general. Since April 9, SIF has had to close Seychelles’ most visited natural site due to the global pandemic. Although security and surveillance operations have been active throughout this closure, it has only been since the May 4, with the easing of restrictions, that research monitoring and operations at the Vallée de Mai have resumed. 

With the introduction of this new booking system, SIF is able to reopen this UNESCO World Heritage Site to the public. Despite the difficult current circumstances Seychellois are still able to enter the park for free, whist ticket prices for tourists remain unchanged, at SCR350, for the time being.  To book and visit, all Vallée de Mai visitors (Seychellois, GOP holders and foreigners alike), must either email: [email protected], call 2595400 or Whatsapp message 2595400 at least a day ahead of their visit. Visits will be booked on the basis of selecting 1 hour slots during visiting hours. It must be noted that group sizes are limited to 4 people per visit and that visiting hours are between 9.00 am – 4.00 pm, in which the last entry for the day is 3.00 pm. In order to make a booking, visitors must provide the following details: full name of organizers of the visit, their contact number, the number of people in their group (maximum 4 per group) and the date and time of their visit.

Bookings can be made throughout the working week (8.00 am – 4.00 pm). However, for weekend visits, bookings must be made by Friday 12.00 pm latest. Once bookings are made, they will be confirmed or rescheduled via email or a phone call within 1 hour (during the working week) of the booking. To cancel or reschedule, visitors must inform SIF 4 hours ahead of time.  Furthermore, while tourist numbers remain low, visitors will be able to book multiple one hour slots for the duration of their visit. However, this allocation of slots may change depending on the volume of bookings. 

The creation of this booking system is part of SIF’s efforts to ensure its sites, staff and visitors are following directives set out by the Department of Health and best practices when it comes to operating under the new reality of COVID-19. Other measures SIF is enacting in the face of these unprecedented times include developing a COVID-19 health and safety guideline for its staff, only accepting electronic payments for Vallée de Mai ticket sales and other transactions, as well as the installation of hand sanitizer dispensers and other facilities to enhance levels of hygiene and social distancing. 

#rebuildingtravel

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, [email protected]  www.seychelles.travel

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Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: cooking, Hong Kong, media, sandals, Seychellois, the Vallée de Mai, Vallée de Mai

Jamaica Tourist Board Continues to Reward Agents During Coronavirus Lockdown

May 28, 2020 by PressEditor

To provide trade partners with up-to-date information on Destination Jamaica and to prepare them for future sales and the resumption of travel, the Jamaica Tourist Board Agent Rewards portal has been updated. The new look platform will be launched to the trade on May 27 and the “Lite Learning” section is a relaunch of the content with a new look and feel. Agents who are not yet on the platform, can register for Jamaica Rewards by visiting www.jamaicarewards.co.uk

Also, on May 27, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is set to launch a series of mini-webinars to educate agents about the destination. These on-demand videos will be published on the Jamaica Rewards YouTube Channel. Each video will be 10 – 12 minutes and cover topics ranging from food and drink, wellness, festivals, bird watching, cruise, as well as things to do on the island for a diverse clientele. In June there will be a series of online “Jamaica Quizzes” using Kahoot!, a game-based learning platform.

JTB’s UK trade sales team will be continuing to work closely with its travel partners as they utilise their social media channels to create virtual FAM trips. Agents will receive an itinerary in advance and will be taken on a virtual tour of various experiences and attractions in Jamaica. A member of the sales team will be on hand to answer questions and provide additional information.

The Jamaica Tourist Board continues to incentivise its trade partners and will be rewarding the top 20 performing agents with a “Taste of Jamaica” gift pack. The pack will include selection of sauces, marinades, and herbs, giving agents an authentic taste of Jamaica from their own home.

Elizabeth Fox, Regional Director, UK & N Europe, Jamaica Tourist Board said: “Post-pandemic, we believe more clients are going to be in search of a trusted travel agent when it comes to booking holidays. With this in mind, we have come up with innovative ways to engage our all-important trade partners and equip them with the knowledge they need so that they are ready to spread the love and encourage more of their clients to book a holiday to Jamaica when travel restrictions are lifted.”

Agents can register for Jamaica Rewards here: www.jamaicarewards.co.uk

For more inspiration on traveling to Jamaica, visit: www.visitjamaica.com

#rebuildingtravel

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Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: airlines, cooking, Destination Jamaica, Elizabeth Fox, Jamaica, Jamaica Tourist Board, regional director

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