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Seychelles Tourism Board Partners with Esquire Middle East Awards to Celebrate the Industry’s Best

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In line with its marketing strategy to increase the destination’s visibility, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) collaborated with ITP’s Esquire Middle East, the leading men’s magazine in the Middle East, for their ninth annual Esquire Award held at the One & Only Royal Mirage’s Arabian Court in Dubai.

The STB Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Sherin Francis, and STB Representative based in Dubai, Mr. Ahmed Fathallah attended the award, which is a celebration of the outstanding achievements of men and women across the Middle East over the past year.

The One & Only Royal Mirage’s Arabian Court provided a magnificent ambience and picturesque views for the event, from the photo ops, to the center stage, and to the dinner, which successfully added a glamourous factor to the event.

Observed as one of the most stylish awards nights of the Arab region, the ceremony was filled with star-studded award winners, and for sure, some of very prestigious invitees on the Middle East region. 

“As the GCC region continuously provides positive reception to Seychelles as a destination, it was only natural for us to come onboard this project, which not only supports the region in their endeavors for expanding their horizons but also provides a center-stage for our holiday paradise. Events like this prove and celebrate that as time goes by, the region starts to be more well-known and flourish for the creative potential of Arab creators, visionaries and innovators – which opens doors for more collaborations in the future and of course more exposure,” mentioned Mr. Fathallah, who worked closely with the event organizers.

The STB Representative in Dubai Ahmed Fathallah was given the honor to present three of the prestige Esquire awards, namely the ‘Humanitarian Award’ to Kashif Siddiqi and Bacary Sagna, “Comedian of the Year” to Ahmed Helmy, and Comeback of the Year to Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci.

The Esquire Middle East Awards event acknowledges the brilliance of creative talents in art, film, music, fashion, and literature in the region, as well as the newcomers in the said fields.

With the fantastic food and drinks from the One & Only Royal Mirage, and the great music and atmosphere, the attendees agreed it was a wonderful night to never forget.

More news about Seychelles.

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

Seychelles Tourism Board accentuates its efforts towards GCC with Emirates Airlines

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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), in its ongoing marketing strategy to bring the exotic destination close to the GCC region, has conducted a meeting with Emirates Airlines on November 3, 2019 in Dubai, UAE.

The STB Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis alongside the STB representative in Dubai Mr. Ahmed Fathallah met with the Emirates Airlines team represented by the new Commercial Operations Regional Manager, Mr. Gaurav Pandey and Business Analysis Manager, Ms. Silvy Sebastian.

The aim of the visit was for the STB team to extend its warm welcome to the new Emirates Regional Manager, who oversees the Seychelles in addition to making sure that both teams contribute to put the right measures in order to see continued growth in the industry.

During their discussions, the two teams centered their thoughts on tourism arrivals to the Seychelles, revenues of 2019 from the GCC region as well as forecasting for 2020 and beyond.

Mrs. Sherin Francis stated that the STB as part of the tourism board’s strategy, there is constant effort aimed at reaching out to travelers from the Arab world.

The Account Manager for STB office in Dubai, Mr. Ahmed Fathallah, who mentioned that there is a constant growth from the UAE market through the direct flight connectivity provided by Emirates, reinforced the statement.
“The continuous support and collaboration with Emirates Airlines enable us to increase our reach to all our regular and potential clients by making the destination accessible throughout the world via their extensive network,” Fathallah said.

This meeting between Emirates Airlines and the representatives from Seychelles was an opportunity to strengthen the unique selling points of the destination.

It further strengthened the assurance of mutual benefits for both parties as this initiative includes deeper levels of cooperation and exchange to further boost tourism flows from the region to the destination.

With more than 32,000 visitors from the GCC last year, the GCC market remains to be one of the very important market feeders to the destination to date.

Emirates airlines has a fleet of 256 aircraft and connects Seychelles to 135 destinations and territories across six continents.

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

Seychelles strengthens GCC reach through a four-city roadshow

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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), through its office in Dubai, in partnership with Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways, has embarked its fourth edition of the Four-City Roadshow staged in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait and Doha Qatar in October this year.

The roadshow comprised of a strong delegation including the representative of the STB Office in Dubai, Mr. Ahmed Fathallah; STB Marketing Executive from Headquarters, Ms. Winnie Elisa and   the Embassy of the Republic of Seychelles Tourism Attaché, Aliette Esther.

His Excellency Ambassador Jean Claude Adrienne, Seychelles Ambassador based in Abu Dhabi attended the roadshow in the same city.

Several partners from the Seychelles tourism industry supported the 4- day event in the various cities, which provided an increased visibility to the archipelago while promoting their brands and services.

These included AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa, Constance Hotels, Hilton Hotels, MAIA Luxury Resort and Spa, Le Duc de Praslin, Castello Beach Hotel, Valmer Resort, Raffles Seychelles, The H Resort on the accommodation side.

Luxury Travel, Masons Travel, and Vision Voyages and Coco Charter represented the destination management companies and operator’s side.

In each city, the GCC roadshow gathered a roster from Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways team both official partners for the roadshow.

The four-city roadshow, which aimed at enticing the participants to learn more about the destination, recorded the presence of over 200 top trade partners. 

The event, targeted top trade partners in each city where all participants were given the chance to network with the exhibitors and understand the dynamics of the destination including Seychelles being a unique product as a multifaceted holiday destination, the diverse services and experiences the Seychelles offers and packages.

Speaking about the event, Account Manager for STB office in Dubai, Mr. Ahmed Fathallah, conveyed his appreciation in regards to the turnout, which indirectly translates, to their incessant interest to know more about the destination.

Mr. Fathallah further mentioned that the outstanding number of participants signifies the demand partners in the GCC cities receive from potential holidaymakers to Seychelles.

“We always ensure that the roadshow is included in our activity pipeline since we see it as an effective avenue to equip the travel agents and tour operators in the region with further information to better sell and become ambassadors to the destination,” said Mr. Fathallah.

As part of the promotional activities, attendees of the GCC event had an opportunity to win several prizes including trips to the tropical islands, at the end of the workshop in each city.

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

Events crucial for Middle East to realize tourism market value of US$133.6 billion by 2028, says Arabian Travel Market

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Events for Tourism Growth will be adopted as the official show theme for Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2020, taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from Sunday 19 – Wednesday 22 April 2020.

According to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the direct contribution of travel and tourism to the Middle East’s GDP is predicted to rise by 4.2% per annum to US $133.6 billion by 2028 – driven in part by additional tourists to the region as a result of mega-events, major sporting and political events, cultural festivals, concerts and MICE events. 

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Events of all kinds have become increasingly important drivers for international arrivals to the UAE, GCC and wider MENA region over recent years.

“With this in mind, ATM 2020’s spotlight theme will be launched as a platform to explore the impact events have on tourism growth in the region and to inspire the travel and hospitality industry about the next generation of events, while bringing together senior travel executives to meet and conduct business under one roof over four days.”

In the UAE alone, the major exhibition centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi experienced a 14% growth in footfall between 2016 and 2018, with Dubai World Trade Centre welcoming 3.4 million visitors in 2018 and Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, combined with Al Ain Exhibition Centre – welcoming over two million during the same period.

Expo 2020 will be the largest event ever staged in the Arab World. Taking place from October 2020 to April 2021, 192 pavilions from countries around the world will be showcased, with over 25 million visitors – 145,000 visits for every one of the 173 days the site is open, expected.

Organisers of the event are predicting 11 million visits by people living in the UAE and 14 million from overseas visitors – most of whom are expected to be tourists. According to consultancy firm EY, this will provide a US$33.4 billion (AED122.6 billion) boost to the local economy – supporting the equivalent of 49,700 full-time jobs a year.

In Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030 has set aside $64 billion to invest in culture, leisure and entertainment projects over the next decade, according to a recent report from real estate firm Savills.

This investment combined with more relaxed access to visas are predicted to significantly add to the attractiveness of the country with entertainment activities in the kingdom predicted to attract 25 million visitors by 2021.

Curtis said: “Looking at 2018 alone, exhibitions across Saudi Arabia witnessed a 103% increase in visitation with a total of 61 major events taking place over 349 days.  Last year was also a milestone in terms of sporting events for the country, with events such as the King Salman Tennis Championship, WWE Crown Jewel and Formula E taking place in the Kingdom.”

ATM, considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, welcomed almost 40,000 people to its 2019 event with representation from 150 countries. With over 100 exhibitors making their debut, ATM 2019 showcased the largest ever exhibition from Asia.

eTN is a media partner for ATM.

About Arabian Travel Market (ATM)

Arabian Travel Market is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East – introducing both inbound and outbound tourism professionals to over 2,500 of the most breathtaking destinations, attractions and brands as well as the very latest cutting-edge technologies. Attracting almost 40,000 industry professionals, with representation from 150 countries, ATM prides itself on being the hub of all travel and tourism ideas – providing a platform to discuss insights on the ever-changing industry, share innovations and unlock endless business opportunities over the four days. 

ATM 2020 will take place from Sunday 19th April – Wednesday 22nd April 2020 #IdeasArriveHere

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face to face through data and digital tools at over 500 events a year, in more than 30 countries, attracting more than seven million participants.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism event’s organiser with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether it is global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have over 35 years’ experience in organising world-leading travel exhibitions.

About World Travel Market

World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises four leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. In addition to ATM, the events are:

WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion in travel industry contracts.

Next event: Monday 4 – Wednesday 6 November 2019 – London #IdeasArriveHere

WTM Latin America attracts about 9,000 senior executives and generates about US$374 million of new business. Taking place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this show attracts a global audience to meet and shape the direction of the travel industry. More than 8,000 unique visitors attend the event to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry news.

Next event: Tuesday 31 March to Thursday 2 April 2020 – Sao Paulo.

WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. Nearly 5,000 travel industry professionals attend Africa’s leading inbound and outbound travel and tourism market. WTM Africa delivers a proven mix of hosted buyers, media, pre-scheduled appointments, on-site networking, evening functions and invited travel trade visitors.

Next event: Monday 6 to Wednesday 8 April 2020 – Cape Town.

Media Contact: Nathalie Visele, Directorm Arjaan Office Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tel: +971 4 365 2711, Mobile: +971 50 457 6525, E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.shamalcomms.com

Seychelles intensifies its media presence in the GCC region

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The latest media spree from the Seychelles did not go unnoticed as the head of delegation Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Didier Dogley and the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis, appeared on various media in the GCC region.

The press calls were conducted on the sideline—as the Seychelles delegation’s was recently present—at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) fair in Dubai tapped as the most popular travel trade event in the Middle East.

Minister Dogley and Mrs. Francis stepped under the spotlight from Sunday, April 28, 2019, to Tuesday, April 30, 2019, to provide an update and promote the destination to various media partners in the region including Dubai Eye FM, Al Hurra TV, Emirates News, Dubai Global News, TTN Middle East, and GT Media among others.

The STB participation strategy for the ATM this year revolved around the opportunity provided by the event to connect with business partners and create new communication channels to promote Seychelles as a multipurpose destination, and to use this opportunity as well to discuss the latest developments that are sure to enhance the travel experience of GCC visitors.

The tourism board presence at the event provided the occasion to connect with the regular and potential partners from this region, understand their needs, identify the travelling patterns and highlight the destination so the traveler can learn more about what to expect when visiting Seychelles.

It was also a good opportunity to update the STB’s knowledge of the market and understand what the local partner’s practices, exchange experiences and determine the long-term goals based on the gathered information.

Speaking of her visit to the ATM and the extensive press calls, STB Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis reaffirmed the STB’s commitment to increasing visibility on all fronts.

“The Middle East, and in particular the UAE, remains a key market for the Seychelles. We are keeping a close eye on Saudi Arabia and Kuwait where we are seeing signs of growth , and for this reason we have been conducting roadshows to increase awareness of the Seychelles as a key holiday destination; ideal for privacy, for families and perfect for those seeking complete relaxation or those looking to explore,” said Mrs. Francis.

On his part, H.E. Didier Dogley said, “The Seychelles has always focused on a quality over quantity offering, and while our visitors numbers continue to grow, they are in line with the Seychelles Sustainable Development Policy, and form an integral and coherent part of the policy.”

With the STBS’s constant effort aimed at reaching out to travellers from the Arab world, data collected shows that the numbers are on a constant growth to date with fifth ranking in terms of visitor arrivals globally.

With more than 32,000 visitors from the GCC last year, the GCC market remains to be one of the main market feeders to the destination to date.

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