La Réunion’s Travel Industry Professionals Get Up to Speed on Seychelles Ahead of Air Austral’s Imminent Return to the Islands

The two-day “petit déjeuner de formation” sessions, organized by the Tourism Seychelles team in La Réunion in collaboration with Air Austral on November 17 and 19, 2021, took place in the town of Saint Denis and St. Gilles in the wake of Air Austral’s welcome announcement of the resumption of their weekly flight to Seychelles on December 19, 2021.

Heads of product and directors of the island’s travel trade companies came together for refresher training sessions on the destination’s selling points, COVID-19 health entry requirements, stay conditions for travelers, as well as a brief on product developments within the destination since the re-opening of the Seychelles border. The sessions, conducted by Bernadette Honore, Tourism Seychelles’ Senior Marketing Executive in La Réunion, aimed to build up momentum and interest among the French department’s travel trade decision makers as well as building up confidence in the destination ahead of the flights to Seychelles next month.

“Throughout this pandemic, we have been continuously updating travel trade professionals on the destination, especially in regard to the COVID-19 health regulations and stay conditions for travelers.  Having a one-to-one contact with La Réunion travel trade’s decision makers helps to rebuild the relationships, which our business entails, and mostly importantly, to instill their confidence to sell. Travel trade professionals are key partners in increasing airline load factors. Gaining their commitment to restart sales to Seychelles at this point in time is crucial for the destination and a rebound of visitor traffic from La Réunion to Seychelles,” said Ms. Honore.

Air Austral representatives were also present during the two sessions, showcasing the airline’s new fleet of aircraft assigned to regional routes including Seychelles and encouraging the professionals present to push sales to the Seychelles.

Both sessions were animated with questions, especially about the health and entry requirements and stay conditions for travelers.

At the end of the sessions, La Réunion’s travel trade professionals expressed their satisfaction with having received adequate information to not only pass on to their clientèle, but most importantly, give them the reassurance to travel to Seychelles.

The training sessions are part of marketing activities organized by Tourism Seychelles in Réunion. Televised spots will also be aired. The resumption of flights on December 19 will also provide opportunities for residents of the sister Vanilla Island to travel to Seychelles to join cruise vessels sailing within the archipelago’s waters and to explore the Inner and Outer Islands.

To note that 5,791 visitors from La Réunion visited the Seychelles in 2019 prior to the pandemic.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tourism Seychelles, [email protected]