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Tourism employees celebrated at Employee of the Year awards  

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It was during an appreciation event held on Friday, March 22, 2019, at the Hilton Labriz Jetty at Belombre that 14 employees of the Seychelles tourism industry were recognized for their outstanding achievement.

The initiative of the Ministry for Tourism aims at sensitizing stakeholders on the importance of having in place a recognition program in their respective organization.

The event, which saw the participation of the various hotel representatives and rewarded employees, was conducted in the presence of the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Mr.  Didier Dogley; Mrs. Myriam Telemaque Minister for Employment, Employment, Immigration and Civil Status; Mrs Anne Lafortune Principal Secretary for Tourism and Mrs. Sherin Francis Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive.

Speaking at the launch the Minister for Tourism, retraced the interesting course of the tourism industry since in inception, he expressed his appreciation to the private sector for the support received throughout the years.

“It is important to have an initiative that encourages our employees in the industry to contribute towards making our destination, one which excels in its quality of service provided to our visitors,” said Minister Dogley.

Minister Dogley also commended the various organisation who have committed to the monthly recognition for their employees.

Employees rewarded were Edmond Felicie from Raffles Seychelles; also from Praslin Nelly Brioche representing Les Lauriers Eco Hotel & restaurant; Gary Pouponneau from Constance Lemuria; Williana Wilcock of Paradise Sun; Almea Marie from Berjaya Praslin resort and Akendra Bk from Oasis Hotel Restaurant and Spa.

Recognized at the Hilton group in Seychelles were Therese Belise for Doubletree by Hilton Seychelles Allamanda Resort and Spa, Liza Pool for Hilton Northolme Resort and Spa and Anthony Bannane for Hilton Seychelles Labriz resort and Spa.

On the Constance Ephelia was Pithra Matombe; Carol Fred from Four Seasons Resort Seychelles; Vishnu Sukumaran from Carana Beach Hotel; Micheal Jean-Louis of Eden Bleu Hotel and finally John Mokgethi of North Island

The employee of the year award recognizes employees who have demonstrated and contributed to the improvements of the quality and performance of their respective organisations at national level and seeks to motivate workers to excel and be productive in the workplace.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Seychelles recognized as world’s Most Beautiful Island at GQ Travel Awards Russia

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Destination Seychelles was cited as “The Most Beautiful Island” in the world after walking away with the title at the GQ Travel Awards, a ceremony that took place on March 15, 2019, at the Metropol Hotel, in Moscow, Russia.

The GQ Travel Awards ceremony recognizes the leading companies, hotels, and destinations from the elite travel industry. The winners in the 17 different categories including Seychelles were chosen by GQ readers who voted online on the magazine’s website.

The island destination was presented with the award during a ceremony attended by some 250 prominent guests including industry professionals, representatives of host countries, Russian celebrities, and famous travelers, and was followed by a gala dinner.

Ms. Diana Sarkisyan, PR & Marketing representative from the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) for the Russian and CIS region, accepted the award on behalf of Seychelles.

Seychelles remains a high-end destination, popular among Russian visitors for its sandy white beaches, warm turquoise waters, and diverse unique flora and fauna. Various beaches such as Anse Lazio on Praslin have been seen as being among some of the most beautiful in the world.

The island nation is one of the world’s leading actors when it comes to sustainable tourism and sustainable development, a concept to which the Russian visitors are very responsive.

Speaking about the latest recognition received by the destination at the GQ Travel Awards, Mrs. Sherin Francis, STB Chief Executive, mentioned that it is an honor for the destination to have been voted by the readers of GQ magazine.

“It is such a privilege to feature as the most beautiful island; as a destination, we are conscious of our inestimable resources, and we strive to demarcate ourselves by our uniqueness, and it is rewarding to see that our efforts have not gone unnoticed,” said Mrs. Francis.

The STB Chief Executive further stated that the achievement is the result of hard work and congratulated the various partners for their constant support towards building the destination’s reputation.

GQ is a men’s magazine offering analytics and current reports of international quality with the latest men’s fashion and style news. It is the number one magazine for male visitors of luxury department stores.

GQ’s regular authors are the best of the best in their industry, from both Russia and abroad, and has a close access to celebrities unlike any other Russian magazine in its niche. It is an unrivaled guidance and companion for a successful man.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Seychelles welcomes another set of hospitality professionals

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The tourism industry of Seychelles, the country’s leading economic pillar, will greatly benefit as it welcomes home 11 hospitality professionals, following the completion of their studies in Ireland.

The sixth cohort of Seychellois student at the Shannon College graduated on March 17, 2019, a ceremony that took place in the presence of Seychelles’ Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, and Ports & Marine Mr. Didier Dogley.

Also present at the graduation ceremony were Mr. Flavien Joubert, the Principal of the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA), Mr. Claude Narin, the Patron of STA, Mr. Terence Crea of the NHRDC, parents and family members of the students.

Minister Dogley said it is the government’s vision to have the hospitality industry in Seychelles led by Seychellois professionals.

“During the last 10 years the necessary resources and support systems have been put into place to enable this to happen. Today we have reached another important milestone with the sixth cohort graduating with sterling results. All efforts will continue to be made for them to remain in the industry and prosper,” said Mr. Dogley.

The management of the school had only praise for the Seychellois students, who have performed very well and have been exemplary as students.

The twinning program between the Seychelles Tourism Academy and the Shannon College started in 2008. Since its inception, 65 students have graduated, with most of the young professionals still actively working in the industry.

The program, which is a 5 years Degree program, consist of three years training at Higher Diploma level at the STA plus two years degree training at Shannon College. The College forms part of the National University of Ireland.

During the visit to the college, the Seychelles delegation met and discuss a number of issues with the group of students currently following the course at the college. Generally, Seychellois students are very satisfied with the program and the quality of student life offered by the college.

It was also a great opportunity for the delegation to meet with the management of the college. Renewal of the five-year collaborative agreement between the two institutions was discussed, as the current one is ending.

The five-year strategic plan of the Seychelles Tourism Academy was also a topic of conversation between the officials present during the meeting. With the new plan, the academy hopes to chart a clear road map for the further development as an institution of excellence.

Travel News | eTurboNews

“Seychelles Discovered Roadshow” marches north in the UK

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UK-based travel agents are now better equipped to attract clients as they learn more about destination Seychelles through the Seychelles Tourism Board’s (STB) “Seychelles Discovered Roadshow” hosted from March 12, 2019 to March 14, 2019.

The group, led by STB Director for UK and Ireland, Ms. Christine Vel, took to Chester in the north of England, and Glasgow and Aberdeen in Scotland, to promote the tropical island nation. Onboard the team was also Marketing Executive, Ms. Eloise Vidot and other local partners.

The three-city roadshow, saw the presence of 115 agents, all interested in learning more about the destination famously know for its beaches and sustainable tourism.

Few of the agents present have already visited Seychelles and are actively selling the destination; the three-day roadshow was the perfect opportunity to provide the agents with as much information about the Seychelles islands.

A networking cocktail was organised at the start of the evening, in each city, allowing the local partners to go around and chat to the agents before taking them on a journey of the amazing Seychelles islands and its products.

Some lucky winners also won a week’s holiday in the Seychelles sponsored by the various hotel partners represented on the tour.

Representing Coco de Mer hotel & Black Parrot suites was Mr. Ash Behari, Crystal cruises saw the presence of Mr. Jon Schofield, from Denis Island & Carana Beach, Ms. Bessie Etienne, The H Resort Beau Vallon Beach was represented by Mr. Sherif El Mansoury.

Ms. Rizwana Hamayun represented Kempinksi Seychelles, Mr. Gerhard Louw was from Maia & Paradise Sun and representing The Hilton Seychelles hotels were Ms. Devi Pentamah and Mr. Anthony Smith.

Ms. Vel mentioned her satisfaction to see that the destination remains very popular on the UK market; she commended the active participation of the Tour Operators and Travel Agents present at the events.

“Once again this year we had an amazing turn out of agents wanting to broaden their knowledge of our destination,” said Ms. Vel.

‘Seychelles Discovered Roadshow’ is held twice annually in March and October. The next edition for 2019 will be held between October 28 to October 31.

Travel News | eTurboNews

The Seychelles Tourism Board to host the first Digital Marketing Fair in Seychelles

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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Digital Marketing team once again brings in its ‘avant-garde’ touch to the industry as  it instigates the first ever Digital Fair for tourism Stakeholders.

The fair, which will be held on Tuesday March 26, 2019 at Eden Blue on Mahé and Thursday March 28, 2019 at Pirogue Restaurant & Bar on Praslin targets at creating a platform for local service providers to interact with their clients.

The first digital marketing fair will be an opportunity given to all to meet various exhibitors in a central location to discuss about the available digital services and experience new digital trends available on the local market.

The fair will also provide the local tourism trade representatives attending with the opportunity to meet the STB digital marketing experts for further interaction regarding how to maximise on digital resources to enhance their business growth opportunities.

The exhibitors include representatives from Intelvision, Hoffman Business Consultancy, Com & Click, CTF Consultancy, Kokonet, Maven, Hotel Link Solutions, VCS Group, K-Radio, Vision 360, Rockit, Multimedia Seychelles, Airtel, Sales & Marketing Seychelles Pty Ltd.

Speaking of the importance of the fair, STB Digital Marketing Director Chris Matombe mentions the necessity to facilitate interaction between stakeholders and digital service providers.

“The aim of this digital fair is for us to have a stronger collective digital presence. Through our interaction with various small partners in the industry, we have noted that there is a lack of communication between the local tourism trade and the digital service providers. Our objective as an organisation is to bridge the gap and open doors for our stakeholders to increase their online presence,” Said Mr. Matombe.

STB Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis mentioned her satisfaction to see the fair being concretised; she commended the team for their efforts and expressed her desire to see more exhibitors join the project in the future.

“Our aim as the STB is to continuously raise the standards when it comes to the quality of service we provide. The fair is a perfect opportunity for all our partners to find a way to better their services. It adds to our marketing value as a destination and creates more visibility for their products and services and Seychelles as a whole,” said Mrs. Francis.

The digital marketing fair will be opened from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm on Mahé and Praslin, the public is invited to visit the various stands to see the various products and services on display.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Seychelles Tourism presents: Gout De France/Good France

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Notice to all food lovers!

We are on the highway through a magical culinary journey to experience an unforgettable Provencal encounter.

Last week, we started with an introduction of chefs from @Kempinski Seychelles Resort Baie Lazare and @Four Seasons Resort Seychelles.

As we head this week to the D-day, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) culinary journal series will keep you au fait about the establishments which are collaborating with Gout De France/Good France in Seychelles 2019.

Announced Friday, March 1, 2019, at the headquarters in Mont-Fleuri, several chefs in Seychelles will be among 5,000 worldwide to please our taste buds.

Meet our participants:

Cyann Restaurant- Constance Ephelia

Save the date: Thursday, March 21

At Constance Ephelia Chef Amit Chandel has finely selected his ingredients, to make an irresistible four-course menu French gastronomy style.

Delplace Restaurant

Save the date: March 21-28

For a week long, Province Chef Julien puts his perfected Provençal savoir-faire and creates a marvelous feast. He aims to take his guests on a spectacular culinary rendezvous through his exquisite French cuisine.

Goût de France/Good France in Seychelles is an event coordinated by the French Embassy in collaboration with the Seychelles Tourism Board, this March 2019, residents and visitors are invited to the world’s biggest event to French gastronomy in over 150 countries!

Travel News | eTurboNews

Seychelles eco-friendly efforts put forward to the German press during Seychelles delegation press conference organized during ITB

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Seychelles eco-friendly efforts put forward to the German press during Seychelles delegation press conference organized during ITB

Environment conservation efforts being made by Seychelles, and how tourists can join in the initiatives, were the focus points of a press conference organized by the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) during the Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB) fair that took place in Berlin, Germany.

Held as part of the STB’s participation activities at the 53rd edition of travel trade show, the press conference took place on March 6, 2019 at the Funkturm Restaurant within the ITB fair grounds and saw the participation of over 52 journalists from different German media houses.

Seychelles’ Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine, Mr. Didier Dogley, and STB Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis, headed the press conference.

The Seychelles Delegation was honored by the two representatives of Seychelles in Germany in the presence of Mr. Max Hunzinger Honorary General Consul Hessen – Baden-Württemberg – Bayern – Sachsen – Sachsen-Anhalt – Thüringen and Dr Vladi Farhad Honorary Consul for – Hamburg – Bremen – Niedersachsen.

Mrs. Francis stated that recent development on the international front, made the destination’s participation at the ITB an opportune moment to give more detailed information in term of progress and accomplishments made in those fields as well as the implications of these initiatives to Seychelles.

“As a nation and a tourism destination, we are committed to environment protection, as the marketing wing of the Seychelles Tourism, STB has tied this commitment to its objectives to ensure that we maintain our pristine environment and be able to protect our ocean as well,” said Minister Didier Dogley.

During the press conference, media partners present learnt more about the Spatial Marine Conservation Plan, where Seychelles has committed to up to 30 percent of its waters to marine protection. The minister explained that a comprehensive marine spatial plan has been developed to ensure the long-term protection of marine species and their habitats.

The session also saw the participation of the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation (SSTF) represented by Diana Körner, as the Pristine Seychelles campaign launched in 2018 was highlighted as one of the current significant sustainable initiative.

The Pristine Seychelles campaign is a call to all tourism stakeholders to promote the three pillars of sustainability, which are environment, Creole culture and local economy amongst tourists and locals.

“Through the various eco-friendly campaigns happening in Seychelles, we want to create awareness among our visitors on nature conservancy and sustainable tourism efforts being made by the country and encouraging them to join in and match our effort,” said Mrs. Francis.

The Aldabra Clean-Up Project was also underlined, informing the audience about the current presence of 12 volunteers on the island collecting ocean debris from the beaches of the UNESCO world heritage site, home to the endemic giant Aldabra tortoises and the nesting place for green turtles.

Several other local initiatives were also brought forward, namely the current ban regarding the importation and use of Styrofoam lunch boxes and plastic bags, plates, cups and cutlery, which was followed by a ban on the importation of plastic straws. In addition to the regular beach clean-ups organized by various to deal with plastic being washed up on beaches of the country.

The press conference was also a great platform for the STB Chief Executive to talk about the current numbers pertaining to visitor’s arrival. Germany remains the leading market with 17,354 visitors since January 2019.

“Germany is one of our healthiest and fastest growing market so far. It has been growing exponentially over the past few years and I believe that with the strong support that we have from the trade there, our office together with the various airlines connecting Germany to Seychelles, we will keep seeing the good performance,” said STB Director for Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Ms. Edith Hunzinger.

Germany, along with the German speaking territories, is one of the markets that is well connected to Seychelles.

The journalists also had the opportunity to meet “tête-a- tête” with the minister, STB Chief Executive and STB Directors present. The meeting was followed by a lunch with a touch of Seychelles cuisine.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel

STB meets with travel trade operators as Seychelles attends Bit – International Tourism Exchange in Milan

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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) had the chance to meet with countless European, Asian and American travel trade operators whilst promoting the destination at the Bit – International Tourism Exchange (Bit).

The travel exhibition took place in Milan from February 10, 2019 to February 12, 2019 and the participation of over 43 thousand visitors, not counting 1900 accredited Italian and global media journalists and bloggers, 1500 top Italian and international profiled buyers from 67 different countries, and 1300 exhibitors.

Consumers and the public were the focal point on the opening day of Bit, emphasizing on the importance of ‘business-to-consumer’. The following two days of the 39th edition of the International Tourism Exchange were reserved to the trade and media.

The event provided an opportunity to present international buyers with an irreplaceable observatory on trends, in addition to a platform to build relationships with Italian and other international operators.

Representing the exotic island paradise were STB Director for Italy, Turkey, Greece and the Mediterranean, Ms. Monette Rose and Marketing Executive, Ms. Yasmine Pocetti both from the STB office in Italy and Senior Marketing Executive, Ms. Mavreen Pouponneau, from STB headquarters.

The STB team present at Bit delivered in bringing to the visitors at the Seychelles dedicated stand a taste of Seychelles, through its depicted beauties and bright brand colors.

Ms. Rose stated that the Bit event generated an excellent turnout at the Sunday’s opening. She also mentioned that the STB team maximized on the opportunity provided on the day to reach as many visitors as possible.

“Once again, this year we are satisfied with this key event on the Italian market, which has confirmed its role as an important occasion to strengthen our relationship with the sector players and travel agents and tour operators that continue to represent our main distribution channel,” confirmed Ms. Rose.

The exhibition also provided a platform for the team to meet representatives of the press where they were able to discuss possible partnerships for marketing campaigns.

It was particularly noted that there was an increase in the quality of content. Over 7000 participants were involved in the over 140 events organized by Bit. The social impact of the event was deemed significant with #Bit2019 featured as a trending topic on Twitter throughout the three-day event, reaching 1.2 million views.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel