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Seychelles Tourism Board Chief Executive featured at third Esquire Podcast and Seychelles x Esquire Middle East Gentleman’s Evening

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Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis, came aboard to the Esquire Q&A Studio at Dubai Media City for the third Esquire podcast last April 11, 2019 to speak about the tropical destination-Seychelles.


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The podcast centered about the Middle East tourism market’s relevance, destination wedding in Seychelles and Seychelles as a sustainable tourism destination. It was followed by media interviews with journalists from Esquire, Rake, CEO and Arabian Business.

The STB Office in Dubai was in collaboration with Esquire Middle East, the leading men’s magazine in the Middle East and local partner Six Senses Zil Pasyon hosted a networking event last weekend at the Palace Downtown outdoor viewing deck under the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa and with the views over the Dubai Fountain.

The event saw the presence of STB Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis and Esquire Middle East Editor Matthew Baxter-Priest along with dapper Esquire readers and the leading names in travel industry.

The astonishing location at The Palace Downtown’s Viewing Deck let guests enjoy stellar views while discussing their favorite travel destinations.

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During the evening, Six Senses Zil Pasyon, an all-villa hideaway on a pristine private island, gifted two nights stay at the luxury boutique Indian Ocean Beach Resort.

Mrs. Sherin Francis mentioned her satisfaction to have featured on the third Esquire Podcast to talk about the destination, she further stated that the UAE and the Middle East is an important market for Seychelles and a constant presence on the territories is important for the destination.

“As a small destination it is important that we keep in touch with our clients, we constantly need to find innovative ways to push the Seychelles product. The UAE is only four hours away from the Seychelles and present a great opportunity for quick weekend breaks given we are well connected with double daily flights and we have no visa requirements which provides a great advantage for our visitors,” said Mrs. Francis.

Present at the event, Esquire Editor Baxter-Priest admitted that while he is constantly on the go, “the Seychelles is one of my favorite places. Sun, sea, sand and a whole lot more – it is a delightful place.”

The representative of the STB office in Dubai Ahmed Fathallah, who was present at the event, mentioned, “We are truly elated on the response for Seychelles from this region. The steady growth of interest and knowledge of the people from this region for the destination will not be possible without the help of our trade and media partners. In return and in line with the vision, Seychelles Tourism Board Office in Dubai will continue to implement activities that can gain continuous support and further the awareness for the destination in the region.”

The Palace Downtown regaled the invitees to the finest canapés and drinks, while some of the city’s finest DJs entertained them.

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Seychelles participates in 23rd Edition of Borsa Mediterranea del Turismo in Naples, Italy

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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), together with its partner and Italian representative, Tsogo Sun, provided destination Seychelles with more visibility at the Borsa Mediterranea del Turismo (BMT), in Naples, Italy.

The 23rd edition of BMT took place from March 22, 2019 to March 24, 2019; was the perfect platform and a great opportunity for our STB team meet with the visiting travel agencies and reinforce the tourism board’s partnerships with tour operators.

Representing STB was Director for Italy, Turkey, Greece and the Mediterranean, Ms. Monette Rose and STB Marketing Executive, Ms. Yasmine Pocetti. The STB team accompanied by the Italian representative of Tsogo Sun, and Paradise Sun Hotel and Maia, Ms. Simona Bonetti.

BMT saw the participation of the most important tourism players in Italy, including tour operators such as Nicolaus, Idee per Viaggiare, Naar, I Viaggi dell’Airone or Alidays and airlines such as Turkish Airlines. Top tour operators and travel agencies official association, Uvet and Astoi, were present as well.

Further establishing itself, Seychelles was also featured on the stand of I Viaggi dell’Airone, launching a dedicated brochure, and giving visibility to the archipelago through the mega screen of the stand displaying STB promotional video.

The Naples based tour operator organized a dinner with the top partners including STB at famous Ristorante Stella on the Gulf of Naples.

STB Director for Italy, Turkey, Greece and the Mediterranean, Ms. Monette Rose mentioned that the STB presence at the BMT in Naples contributed not only in showcasing Seychelles as a destination but also reaffirmed the relationship with various partners.

“BMT featured very many important players on the Italian market and in tourism world, partnership is crucial. It was a good time for us to be present and build our networks and most importantly ensure the good position of the destination and what it has to offer to our partners and their clients,” said Ms. Rose.

Several workshops were also organized during the event including with 120 international buyers, incentive, wellness tourism and others.

The media had a strong presence with many journalists from the trade and consumer magazines and newspapers.

Naples is a key hub for Southern Italy with great potential and with many international flights and airlines departing from Capodichino airport. For Seychelles, the most important is Flydubai, connecting the city to the UAE, and Turkish Airlines with its direct flights to Istanbul.

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UNESCO, African Union and Ethiopia Role Model on World Press Freedom?

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Ethiopian Airlines, has been chosen as the Official Carrier for the 2019 World Press Freedom Day Global Conference to be held in Addis Ababa from May 1-3, 2019.

This conference is not without controversy, however.  According to Journalists without Border, terrorism charges have been systematically used against journalists ever since the 2009 terrorism law took effect. The charges carry long jail sentences and allow the authorities to hold journalists without trial for extended periods. There has been no significant improvement since the purges that led to the closure of six newspapers in 2014 and drove around 30 journalists into exile. On the contrary, another six-month state of emergency was proclaimed in February 2018, which the government could again use to arrest critical journalists and ban the public from watching or listening to certain broadcast media. The Internet and social networks are often disconnected while physical and verbal threats, arbitrary trials, and convictions are all used to silence the media.

The conference is jointly organized by UNESCO, the African Union and the Government of Ethiopia under the theme ‘Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation’.

UNESCO Spokesperson Roni Amerlan said: ” The offer by countries to host World Press Freedom Day marks their recognition of the value of the right to press freedom and freedom of expression.

We have often held World Press Freedom Day celebrations in countries in transition and we do not think that we should restrict our support for the recognition of press freedom and their participation in this awareness-raising event to countries which rank at the top of NGOs’ rankings.

Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration(link is external) on media pluralism and independence.

At the core of UNESCO’s mandate is freedom of the press and freedom of expression. UNESCO believes that these freedoms allow for mutual understanding to build a sustainable peace.

It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom – a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered.

It is a date to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of press freedom, and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.

3 May acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. Just as importantly, World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story.

The 26th celebration of World Press Freedom Day is jointly organized by UNESCO, the African Union Commission and the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The main event will take place in Addis Ababa, on 1 – 3 May at the African Union Headquarters. This year’s theme“Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”  discusses current challenges faced by media in elections, along with the media’s potential in supporting peace and reconciliation processes.

World Press Freedom Day will also be celebrated worldwide. Events will be organized in several countries to raise awareness about the importance of press freedom and journalists’  safety. More information of events will be available in the Events Map soon.

As the United Nations agency with a specific mandate to promote “the free flow of ideas by word and image”, UNESCO works to foster a free, independent and pluralistic media and the safety of journalists.

As the official carrier, Ethiopian will provide air transport service to the 1000-1500 participants who will be coming to Addis Ababa from around the globe.

Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, remarked, “We are honored to have been chosen to serve as the official carrier for this year’s World Press Freedom Day Global Conference. We are all the more delighted to be part of this noble cause which seeks to advance press freedom around the world.

Global, regional and national media stakeholders, high-level government officials, and journalists from across the globe will take part in the conference which will be held at the African Union Commission headquarters.

https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/worldpressfreedomday

 

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Follow travel journalists of “The Bucket List Family”

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The Bucket List Family is a family of five, including three small children, who travel the world together documenting and sharing their adventures. The family will travel with LATAM Airlines throughout the South American region, checking off places from their bucket list with some of the most popular destinations in the region.

In addition, LATAM is bridging a partnership between The Bucket List Family and TECHO, a nonprofit organization that seeks to overcome the poverty situation that millions of people live in across Latin America through the joint work of its inhabitants and young volunteers.

During a yearlong adventure, LATAM will take the family to key destinations in South America to explore the variety of cultures, and via their partnership with TECHO, present the family with the opportunity to give back to the communities by collaborating with local leaders and share their efforts and accomplishments for building better communities.

“We are thrilled to fly with LATAM to amazing destinations and work with TECHO to help in its important mission of fighting poverty throughout the region, said Jessica Gee, matriarch of the Bucket List Family. “In every country we visit, we try to find local service opportunities where we can not only give back but impart valuable life lessons to our children. That’s why we feel this latest adventure is perfectly aligned with our mission and family values.”

Felipe Bogotá, General Director at TECHO added: “TECHO is proud to join LATAM in making The Bucket List Family´s tour an opportunity to build bridges and share on the disparate realities of life in Latin America with the world. Sharing stories is a substantial part of our work, which we have developed in part thanks to LATAM´s foundational contribution to our organization.”

The Bucket List Family will begin its tour in March of 2019, running through 2020. They are expected to visit Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Peru.

“LATAM is thrilled to take the Bucket List Family on this amazing adventure of discovery and purpose,” said Pablo Chiozza, Senior Vice President USA, Asia, Canada and Caribbean at LATAM Airlines.

Follow the journey and join the conversations at The Bucket List Family and use the hashtag #TheBucketListandLATAM.

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Malta attracts record-breaking 62,185 tourists from US and Canada in 2018

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Statistics released by Malta’s National Statistics Office for inbound tourism for 2018 show that Malta’s popularity in the North American market is still trending.

The Hon. Konrad Mizzi, Minister of Tourism for Malta, noted that the US was one of the fastest growing tourism markets for Malta, recording a dramatic increase of 31.9% from 2017 to 2018, with a total of 47,170 Americans visitors. The increase from Canada in 2018 was 6.6% (15,015 Canadians) bringing the total arrivals in 2018 from North America (US & Canada) to a record breaking 62,185. This sunny archipelago in the Mediterranean recorded an overall 2.6 million visitors (+14.3% between 2017 and 2018), bringing a record number of tourists to Malta from around the World.

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Malta is turning into one of the Mediterranean’s top all season destinations due to its success in developing a multitude of off-peak events, and mild year round warm, sunny climate. According to Michelle Buttigieg, MTA Representative for North America, “although the dramatic increase in 2018 is due in large part to the yearlong celebrations of Malta’s Capital, Valletta, as the 2018 European capital of Culture, Malta also has a rich and diverse annual calendar of festivals and events that continue to attract visitors for the off-season.”

Buttigieg continued, “if the overwhelming number of people stopping at the Malta Booth last month at the January 2019 New York Times Travel Show is any indication, this market will continue to boom.” The MTA is very proactive in North America, both with travel industry organizations such as the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), and Virtuoso, a network of luxury travel agents.

Buttigieg further stated, “MTA has also garnered major publicity in the US and Canada because of its proactive work with prominent journalists and social media influencers.” Buttigieg added, “an important part of Malta’s appeal to the North American traveler is that English is an official language, and that Malta is a safe, peaceful, and stable EU democracy.”