Keeping Seychelles Top of Mind in Hungary

Seychelles is ensuring that it remains visible and relevant to all potential travelers, taking its tourism promotion of the destination post COVID-19 up a notch when it attended the annual Aviareps roadshow in Hungary at the end of October 2021.

The roadshow was among some of the first physical events to resume in the CIS and Eastern Europe region after the pandemic put world travel on its knees for most of these last two years.

Together with some 15 other exhibitors which included destinations like Thailand, Croatia, Montenegro and Jamaica, Tourism Seychelles went all out to market the islands and ensure it would be one of the ‘trendiest’ destinations for Hungarians to visit over the next few months and in 2022.

The destination was represented in the four Hungarian cities of Budapest, Gyor, Debrecen and Szeged by the Tourism Seychelles’ Director for Russia, CIS and Eastern Europe, Lena Hoareau, and Anna Butler-Payette, Managing Director of local DMC 7° South. From city to city, they told the participants how Seychelles remains a safe and travel worthy destination, ready to welcome back its visitors.

The first part of the workshop was a series of presentations by each exhibitor followed by a round-robin format whereby the participants engaged on 1-to-1 business with the exhibitors.

Speaking after the roadshow, Mrs. Hoareau commented that there was still huge interest in the destination and that many tour operators confirmed that they had already sold several holidays to the Seychelles for the coming months. They had also been getting many other queries which could potentially turn into firm bookings, considering they are now better informed of the travel conditions and situation in the destination.

One particular participant who had travelled to Seychelles a few months ago for his wedding and honeymoon, also recounted his experience of how he feels that the destination is the perfect place for couples and other travelers trying to escape COVID-19 and the coming winter months.

“There is still huge interest in the destination which is a big plus for us. It is normal that people feel reluctant to travel anywhere if they don’t have the right information, so we made sure they understood that despite the new norms, Seychelles remains one of the safest destinations to travel to and that it offers a hassle-free experience,” Mrs. Hoareau explained.

She added that whilst many destinations have strict entry requirements in place, such as mandatory quarantine upon arrival or repeat PCR tests after a few days, Seychelles offers a seamless experience which should be a major deciding factor for anyone planning a holiday overseas.

“Travelers are looking for comfortable places to travel to where they can spend their holidays without the constant threat of COVID-19. One of our strongest USPs at the moment is exactly

that – we are offering safe havens for travelers with very little restrictions in place so they can holiday in comfort and with peace of mind.”

Speaking about Seychelles’ participation at the Hungarian roadshow and other events coming up as physical trade events gradually resume, the Director General for Tourism Seychelles, Mrs. Bernadette Willemin said,

“It is still uncertain times with ever-changing restrictions, but people are eager to travel again and we, as a destination, have to make sure that when they do, Seychelles is at the top of their minds.”

Mrs. Willemin added, “Virtual events have helped enormously to keep the destination visible during the height of the pandemic, however, travel trade professionals are now back on the road again to resume business. Tourism Seychelles must ensure that it is present at key international events so that it doesn’t lose out on business and that the destination remains visible and relevant as more destinations open their borders to international tourism.”

In 2019, the island destination has welcomed 3,721 Hungarian visitors and 1,629 from March 2021 up to October 31, 2021.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tourism Seychelles, [email protected]