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MCB Tour Championship in Seychelles starts off with Pro-Am Competition

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Following its first leg from Madagascar, the MCB Tour Championship 2019 continues its journey in the Seychelles at Constance Lemuria, Praslin.

The well anticipated competition leg of the Indian Ocean swing will be held on our shores from Thursday December 5, 2019 to Saturday December 7, 2019. 

Warming up for the big day, the 48 professionals golfers have gone around the 18-hole golf course consisting of the Lemuria property which spans over an area of 5,580 metres, teaming up with Seychellois residents for the Pro-Am competition. 

It is under a perfect paradise sun that the day took off with the first tee at 11am, which 24 joyful foursomes, playing under the flag of the various sponsors to the Seychelles MCB Tour Championship event, made their way to the course for 5 hours play approximately.

Last year’s Seychelles winner Roger Chapman teed at the first hole alongside Dominique Bastienne both playing under the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) flag, against Clark Dennis and Captain Guy Adam representing the Constance Hotels and Resorts. 

Present on the course to support the golfers, the STB Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis mentioned her satisfaction to see the MCB Tour Championship in Seychelles starting off on such a great note. 

“It warms the heart to see that last year’s MCB Tour Championship has created so many beautiful ties. It is definite that professional golfers and amateurs have been looking forward to playing together again.  I believe that the Pro-Am sessions is a great platform for our local golfers to gather the exposure and experience required to improve themselves, “said Mrs. Francis.

At the end of the Pro-Am competition round this Wednesday afternoon, team ISPC including Philip Golding and Jonathan Paul came in first place, scoring -14 points, the runners up were Tim Thelen and Eddie Micock flying the STB Flag with -13 points and were followed by the competition venue host team Constance Hotels and Resorts, represented by Clark Dennis and Captain Guy Adam with -11points.

This year’s competition also saw the remarkable performances of Damien Hoareau and Bridget Weaver as best performers for the Longest Drive Men and Ladies respectively and finally Axel Andrade as best performer on the Nearest the Pin. 

She further commented that this year’s coverage on the Staysure Tour network of the MCB Tour Championship in Seychelles will definitely add on to the destination’s visibility as it places the Constance Lemuria Golf course on the global platform as one of the beautiful in the region.

The best performers were crowned at a special event at the Takamaka Beach Bar at Anse Kerlan.

The MCB Tour Championship in the Seychelles is sponsored by Seychelles Tourism Board, MCB Seychelles, Constance Lemuria, Staysure Tour, ISPC Seychelles, Hugo Boss, Cat Cocos, Takamaka Rum and Seybrew. The tournament, also received the support of local destination management companies Mason’s Travel, Creole Travel Services, 7 Degree South and Summer Rain Tours.

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

Seychelles represented at a Corporate Travel Planners Roadshow in Abu Dhabi

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Maximizing its exposure in the Middle East, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) participated in a Corporate Travel Planners Roadshow held at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

The roadshow, which took place on November 20, 2019 was organised by dnata Abu Dhabi with the objective of connecting the corporate travel bookers to the key service facilitators.

The event saw the participation of over 90 key travel planners/bookers from dnata’s prestigious corporate account and 20 exhibitors providing various travel services including airlines, hotel chains and tourism boards. This involved the STB featuring Seychelles as a versatile destination of choice in the Indian Ocean.

The Corporate Travel Planner Roadshow attracted mainly frequent travellers from the corporate world such as travel managers, procurement managers and travel officers all keen to keep abreast with the services available on the market.

The destination was represented by Ms. Aliette Esther, Tourism Attaché based in Abu Dhabi, and was assisted in promoting the Seychelles in the roadshow by Cerf Island Resort representative Mrs. Foram Varsani.  Both were working in unison to provide information about the destination. Mrs. Varsani also used the opportunity to explain about the facilities and activities available to potential clients at the Cerf Island Resort.  

Commenting on the STB’s participation at the event Ms. Esther explained that it falls in line with STB’s strategy for visibility as well as educating its partners.

 ‘It is important to be constantly on the road to promote the destination especially in this day and age where the competition is tough. It is important also to keep managing our relationship vis-à-vis our travel trades partners and update their knowledge of our destination. This can be achieved by reminding partners that Seychelles is a versatile destination, which also includes services for the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) segments,” said Ms. Esther. 

 “I had a fruitful visit to Abu Dhabi to attend two events which took place on 20th & 21st November. I am pleasantly surprised to see the marketing & awareness, which is done by STB  as I found great number of corporate and tourism establishments interested in the destination.

I am very grateful for all the help and support I received during my visit from Aliette to draw more business to our shores.” Mrs Foram Varsani said.

‘At the moment, the UAE is the 5th biggest market for the Seychelles.’ Ms Esther said. ‘Roadshows such as this one will certainly help in getting the UAE to climb a notch higher on the ladder.  At the end of the day, the more visitors we get, whether it be from the UAE or any other parts of the world, the ultimate benefactors are the Seychellois people.  In the process, we will be sharing some of the beauty and culture of our islands with the visitors. It is a win-win situation all around. We look forward to participating in similar events in the future.’

According to the latest Knight Frank’s 2018 City Wealth Index, Abu Dhabi is the richest city in the GCC.

Ms. Esther further mentioned that the affluence in Abu Dhabi and the regular daily flights availability -3 times a day from the two UAE hubs (Abu Dhabi and Dubai), a 4-hour flying time make the city an excellent place to market the destination. 

With the five-day long National Day holiday coming up at the end of November early December, the roadshow was well timed and Ms. Esther and Mrs. Varsani at the STB and Cerf Island Resort were kept busy answering questions about attractions and activities on the islands of Seychelles.

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

Top-selling agents of Emirates Holidays visit Seychelles on a FAM trip

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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) through its office in Dubai, in partnership with Emirates Holidays and with the support of local partners in Seychelles organized a familiarization (FAM) trip to the paradise destination for top travel agents across Dubai.

The visit was organised in line with the STB strategy to increase Seychelles’ visibility through the education of its close partners.

As part of their visit in the destination, the small group of agents were given the opportunity to experience and be inspired by the beauty of the islands, partaking in activities such as touring of the capital, Victoria and its cultural landmarks, ziplinging and cruising the islands.

During their visit, the Dubai agents received a warm Seychellois welcome from the various hotel partners including Constance Ephelia, Four Seasons Resort, Constance Lemuria, Hilton Northolme Resort, Raffles Seychelles, Kempinski Resort Seychelles, Banyan Tree Resort, and Avani Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa and were able to familiarize themselves with the products and services offered by these establishments.

The Account manager for STB office in Dubai, Mr. Ahmed Fathallah commented on the FAM trip, stating “The entire experience enhanced their knowledge to better promote and sell the destination and they can impart their personal experience to their clients, which can help them entice travelers to visit the beautiful Seychelles. We will definitely be working on having more FAM Trips in the future as incentive to the hardest working agents. These FAM Trips serves not only as a motivation but as well as an educational experience to provide edge and added knowledge about the destination.”

Prior to the FAM trip, Emirates Holidays ran a campaign among their agents – the top sellers of Seychelles will get the chance to win a place on a FAM trip to the destination.

Compared to the previous year, market performance in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has seen positive increases; the UAE to 22%, Kuwait to 14%, and Saudi Arabia to 18%, making the region increasingly significant to the Seychelles.

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

Seychelles’ Ecological Commitment Commended in the UK News

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Making the most of their presence in London for the World Travel Market (WTM), Seychelles Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine, Mr. Didier Dogley and Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis met with several key media specialists earlier in November.

The press meetings aimed at urging the UK and other countries to join the fight against climate change, focused on raising the alarms about the various effect of the global warming; particularly the vulnerability of destinations such as the small island nation are facing with the rising water levels.

Seychelles, 115-islands archipelago state, is a pioneer in the Indian Ocean and the world through its continuous actions in reinforcing its national policies for conservation.

As pioneers, the Seychelles continually takes steps towards cementing its national climate change policy, meaning that the targeted 30% consensus of protecting the sea will be met 10 years earlier than scheduled, according to both the Minister and the STB Chief Executive.

During a live interview with BBC Africa, Minister Dogley, a former Minister for Environment, Energy             and Climate Change explained the impacts of climate change on the lives of the Seychellois people.  He further commented on how  his environmentally conscious    home nation     is a model for sustainable tourism with its array of unique sites.

Minister Dogley further revealed that in such a world where unspoiled natural land and seascapes are becoming a rare asset, it was a real pleasure to see European countries and destinations, including China and India, getting on board with the movement.

In previous interviews, it has been stated by the Minister that Seychellois people have no choice but to sustain and maintain their environmental standards, out of sheer necessity.

Spreading a similar message, Mrs. Sherin Francis, recounts driving through inundated roads, on the East coast of Mahé, in order to get to work.

Mrs. Francis was interviewed across the 7th – 8th of November by the BBC (World News and Wildlife), as well as Sky News, Arise News and City Metric. Her message was clear: ‘Be our ambassadors when you leave the Seychelles, and spread the word about climate change’.

Speaking candidly, the Chief Executive also stated that the shared vision between the government and STB, and the actions taken to iron out climate issues, has promoted an eco-warrior mentality across the generations.

Some of the more talked about achievements discussed by Mrs. Francis included the ban of single use plastics, which came into effect in 2018, and the campaign aimed at reaching out to potential holidaymakers.

With Britain being the fourth largest European incoming market, after Germany, France and Italy, visitors are encouraged to join in on beach clean ups, wildlife tagging or planting coral.

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

Top Singapore Travel Company in Seychelles for a familiarization visit

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The successful visit organized through the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) with the support of various local partners, followed a sales visit earlier this year by the Mrs. Amia Jovanovic-Desir, the Director for India, Australia and South East Asia in Singapore.

Ms Crystal Sims, the CEO of the international Travel Agency Albatross World, made a special effort to see the Seychelles on a familiarization for ten days by the end of October 2019. This trip was the prime opportunity for her to also experience the products and services.

During her working visit to Seychelles, Ms. Sim had the opportunity to have an overview of the destination through the diverse attractions available on islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, which are the most frequented island- including the pristine beaches and the Vallée de Mai.

As part of her explorations of the islands and tourist attractions, Ms. Sims also had the chance to stay at the Four Seasons Resorts on Desroches Island and Hilton Seychelles, LaBriz Resort and SPA on Silhouette.

Several meetings with core tourism stakeholders including key Destination Management Companies (DMC) in Seychelles, through which the representatives presented their products and services providing the Singapore professional with a clearer idea of what holidaymakers would expect while in Seychelles.

Ms. Sims also met with the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Mr Didier Dogley, Mrs. Sherin Francis, STB’s Chief Executive and her Team during which discussions were centered towards the strategic approach of how to tap into the Singaporean market. Throughout the debates all partners agreed that further collaborations with the tourism trade partners on both end need to be encouraged.

Ms. Sims mentioned that her perception of Seychelles has surpassed her expectation. She added that she was impressed to see the natural beauty of the islands and the strong commitment of the Seychellois people including its government to preserve the environment.

“The world will love travelers who roam beautiful places with ease, and one corner of the globe not yet fully appreciated is the Seychelles.  We will become better people if we know the Seychelles, truly another world,” said Ms. Sims

Speaking of the visit from the Singaporean partner, Mrs. Amia Jovanovic-Desir mentioned that she is pleased to see that the continuous efforts done by STB to meet with international partners being rewarded.

“As a prime collaborator to several international partners, such collaborations add to our marketing strategy and what we are currently doing to further position on the market. FAM trips are one of the most cost effective marketing activities for the destination to engage more agents to boost their knowledge on the Seychelles and its products and to push more interest to be converted into sales, added Amia Jovanovic- Desir.

Mrs. Jovanovic- Desir expressed STB’s sincere appreciation to all the partners who have supported in making this FAM trip a success, she extended special thank you to the Four Seasons Resort at Desroches, Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort and SPA, Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort and SPA, Double Tree by Hilton Seychelles, Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove and Patatran Hotel.

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

Seychelles launches its first Nature Trail competition

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In a press conference at Botanical House, Mont-Fleuri at the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) headquarters today, the organization announced the launch of the Seychelles Nature Trail competition to be held in May 2020.

The announcement was made by the STB Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis in the presence of Mrs. Bernadette Willemin, STB Regional Director for Europe, Ms. Bernadette Honoré, the STB representative in Reunion – who initiated the project with the support of Christian Hamer and Veronique Victor (directors of the trail) – and various partners on-board to make the project a success in Seychelles next year. 

The partners for the SNT project alongside the STB will include the Seychelles National Sports Council (NSC), the Seychelles National Park Authority (SNPA), Air Mauritius, Seychelles Breweries, ABSA ( Barclays Bank), Cable and Wireless and Skychef.

Launched in Reunion in September this year, this first edition of Seychelles Nature Trail (SNT) adds to the prestige of the destination as a multifaceted one.

The SNT aims at further promoting the archipelago’s concept of green tourism as well as enticing potential visitors’ to the discovery of Seychelles’ rich biodiversity.

The 25km trail which will be competed on Mahé on May 3, 2020 will be starting in the region of Port-Glaud round Anse Major, through the well-known hiking routes including the Mont Le Niol and Congo Rouge area finishing at Grand Anse.

 The event plans on attracting and engaging nature sport enthusiast in the region and across the globe to Seychelles, as well as concept for Seychellois competitors.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Sherin Francis mentioned her satisfaction to add another event to the destination’s profile on the international level.

“The SNT event projects the destinations towards an adventure that will open great doors for the destination, we have seen how big in publicity the recent trail event “Diagonale des Fous” which closed a few days ago to our fellow islanders in Reunion. We can only anticipate great participation from the region and hope that the beauty of our Islands will attract potential runners from all over the world,” said Mrs. Francis.

Mrs. Francis mentioned that in order to reach the anticipated number of participants for the event in 2020, an intensive communication campaign has been designed and will be implemented through traditional and social media.

In addition, a publicity campaign in collaboration with the Seychelles Public Transport Company (SPTC) will be activated in Seychelles in the coming weeks.

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

The Seychelles celebrates the 2nd edition of the Tourism Festival

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The Seychelles Tourism Festival 2019 came to an end on World Tourism Day, Friday September 27, 2019 after an eventful week of celebrating and promoting the importance of tourism in Seychelles.

This year’s festival was centered on the theme ‘We Are Tourism: Our Pathway to Prosperity’ and focused on raising awareness of the role and significance of tourism in our country.

The second edition of the festival was officially launched by Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine, Didier Dogley, at the annual Tourism Ball, organized by the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and the Tourism Festival Committee, at Constance Ephelia on Saturday September 21, 2019. 

The theme for this year’s ball was ‘Under the Sea,’ which was reflected in the decorations made of recycled materials.

In attendance were tourism partners and stakeholders who united to celebrate the tourism industry. Minister Miriam Thelemaque, Minister of Employment, Immigration and Civil Status and Minister Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, Minister of Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning also attended the event.

Minister Dogley and Mrs. Sybille Cardon, Chairman of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association, placed great emphasis on the significance of sustainability in their speeches, noting that it is crucial for the survival of the tourism industry.

The evening saw performances from Aaron Jean, who performed a song composed for the occasion by Jean Marc Volcy, and Joe Samy who performed his song ‘Oceans and Visions.’

The Tourism Ball was followed by the Food Fiesta the next day, which took place at Beau Vallon on Mahe and Cote D’Or on Praslin. The event featured the waiter’s race, in which waiters and waitresses from different hotel establishments as well as students from the Seychelles Tourism Academy participated.

The food fiesta gave the Seychellois public exposure to the culinary experience that tourists have access to during their stay in the Seychelles.

On Monday 23, 2019, seven tourism pioneers of the tourism industry were recognized in a ceremony at the Seychelles Tourism Academy. Andiana Hoareau nee Sandapin, Brendon Grimshaw, Achille Kwame Luc, Philipe L’Efevre Karl St. Ange, Philibert Loizeau, Mathew Servina were each honored with a plaque in the Tourism Pioneers Park.

The youth played a significant role in this year’s tourism festival, participating in both the ‘Adopt a Student’ forum on Tuesday 24, 2019 and the French Public speaking competition on Thursday 26, 2019.

Concretizing what Minister Dogley expressed in his speech at the launching ceremony regarding the importance of educating the youth on what the tourism industry entails at an early age instead of waiting for them to specialize.

For the ‘Adopt a Student’ forum, primary and secondary students selected by the Ministry of Education for a brief internship in several hotels came to share their experiences with their peers.

This exposure gave students a better idea what a career in tourism entails, therefore encouraging more students to choose this path. The program generated positive feedback from both the students and the hotels, who appreciated the initiative by the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Education.

The participating schools and hotels were Takamaka Primary attached with DoubleTree by Hilton Seychelles Allamanda Resort & Spa; Bel Ombre Primary with Savoy Seychelles Resorts & Spa; Beau Vallon Secondary also with Savoy and Hilton Seychelles Labriz; English River Secondary with Hilton Seychelles Northolme; Anse Boileau Secondary with Constance Ephelia Seychelles and Avani Hotels & Resorts; and Grand Anse Primary with Constance Lemuria Seychelles and Hotel L’Archipel. The Human Resource officers from the hotels were also present to share their experience with the students.

Another activity involving the youth was the ‘Concours d’expression orale,’ organized by STB in conjunction with the Ministry of Education. This was a French public speaking activity involving schools in Seychelles at primary, secondary and post-secondary level. The discussions were based off the world tourism day theme “Le Tourisme et l’emploi: Un avenir meilleur pour tous,” and students seized the opportunity to showcase their fluency in French, one of our official languages which is often overlooked and less popular. Minister Jeanne Simeon, Minister of Education and Human Resource Development was also present at the event.

The winner for the Primary school group was Baie Sainte Anne Praslin, with Mont Fleuri in second place and Glacis in third place. For the Secondary group, Pointe Larue landed first place, followed by Plaisance in second place and Anse Royale in third place. At Post-secondary level, SITE won first place, whilst STA came out second.

Aside from the youth, employees in the tourism sector also had activities of their own during the week of festivities.

A tourism mass was held on Wednesday September 25, 2019 at Plaisance Church, attended by staff from the Seychelles Tourism Board, the Department of Tourism and Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority with the participation of the Seychelles Tourism Academy students and staff.

The service was followed by a beach clean-up with employees of STB, Department of Tourism contributing to the Clean up the World campaign. This campaign is one which crucial to the tourism industry, as it supports the conservation of the Seychelles pristine beauty.

On World Tourism Day itself, Friday September 27, 2019, the STB partnered with Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority and Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation for a special “Meet and Greet” at the Seychelles International Airport.

Arriving visitors were greeted by a live band and traditional dances were performed. Many engaged with the performance; joining in to dance or capturing the moment with ‘That Selfie Mirror Seychelles.’ Tourists were also given the ‘Pristine Seychelles’ badge along with a bookmark that included small tips on how to be a responsible traveler whilst exploring the islands.

Departing visitors were given the chance to share their experiences in the Seychelles and what their contributions to sustainability were or could be, which was documented by the SSTF team.

Due to weather, the scheduled Meet and Greet at the Botanical garden was cancelled. However, the staff of the Seychelles Tourism Board and Department of Tourism united for a brief gathering honoring Tourism Day, where STB Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis and Principal Secretary Mrs. Anne Lafortune shared a few words with the employees.

The Tourism Festival came to a close at Hilton Northolme Resort and Spa, during a panel discussion of the festival theme “Tourism and Jobs: a better future for all.”

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

The celebrations to mark the 250 years of Seychelles are officially launched

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It is in a ceremony at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles (ICCS) in Victoria, on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, that the President of the Republic, Mr. Danny Faure, officially launched the activities commemorating the 250th anniversary of Seychelles.

The launch organised by the national preparatory committee for the 250 years of Seychelles saw the presence of several high Government officials including the Designated Minister, Mrs. Macsuzy Mondon; the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Nicholas Prea; the Leader of the Opposition party Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan and the leader of Government Business Mr. Charles de Commarmond.

In her speech during the ceremony, Mrs. Sherin Francis, chairperson of the committee, mentioned the colourful history of the Seychelles throughout its 250 years of existence and urged all Seychellois to be part of the celebrations.

She further expressed her profound gratitude to all the organisations, including government offices, schools, private sector, artists, private individuals who have responded positively to the various media calls by presenting their projects and ideas to make the celebrations a success.   

“We are all honoured as Committee Member to be part of this celebration, but mostly it has been very humbling to see how much our Seychelles is a proud nation through the various contribution of their ideas and time. The celebrations remain a way for us to celebrate our beloved country and share with our next generations the real sense of the word patriotism,” said Mrs. Francis. 

The ceremony conducted in the three national languages of Seychelles opened its curtains on singing presentation from Angel’s Choir singing the blessing song “Ouver ou Leker” written by Raymond Clarisse and ended on a light note through a dance performance-dubbed “Nou Lorizin”-retracing the early days of Seychelles by the youth from the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC).

About the Committee

  • A national preparatory committee chaired by Seychelles Tourism Board Chief Executive, Sherin Francis was appointed by President Danny Faure in August 2018.
  • The committee, which consists of seven other members namely Jeannine Chung Faye, Emanuel D’Offay, Sybille Cardon, Oliver Bastienne, Tony Mathiot, David Andre, Cindy Vidot and Alvin Laurence.
  • On May 30, 2019, the cabinet endorsed of the proposed plan to celebrate 250th anniversary of the first settlement in 2020.
  • In June 2019, the 250 years national preparatory committee organised a press meeting to address the Seychelles press partners for the first time and unveil the logo of this historic event.
  • On September 5, 2019, the committee met with the local press for a brief on the upcoming activities.

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

Sky Blues for the Multiply Titans in Seychelles once again

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The popular South African cricket team, Multiply Titans, once again visited the Seychelles as part of their pre-season tour.

Organized by Gran Kaz entertainment, alongside various partners including the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), the Multiply Titans’ stay is the second consecutive visit the celebrity team has undertaken in the paradise like destination.

The team arrived on the new Air Seychelles aircraft, “Veuve,” on Wednesday, August 21, along with their coach, Mark Boucher and team administrator, Karen Smithies.

As part of their pre-season tour, the team hiked the Trois Freres trail with the Seychelles Police Defense Forces on Thursday for an extensive workout.

The Titans also hosted the second edition of the Children’s cricket clinic on Mahé, at Stad Popiler on Saturday, which gave approximately 200 local children the opportunity to learn more about cricket.

The clinic was followed by a charity golf match in the afternoon at the Anse aux Pins golf course. Closing off their Seychelles tour, the Titans engaged in a friendly match against the Gran Kaz Kings on Sunday, where they defended their T20 title from last year.

Aside from focusing on their pre-season preparation, the Titans had an opportunity to experience the destination as they enjoyed a sea excursion on Creole Travel’s “Odezir,” where they also had the chance to visit Moyenne.

The team were further exposed to the Seychelloise lifestyle with a beach barbecue creole night evening, at Avani Barbarons, where they resided during their stay.

During the evening, the South African celebrity guests enjoyed the fine taste of our local cuisine and the expression of the local talents through our traditional dances. 

The team also experience the warm Seychellois Welcome as the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Minister Didier Dogley and the STB Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis made a point to meet with them.

Speaking about the second visit of the Multiply Titans, Mrs. Francis commended Gran Kaz and its partners to commit to such a great event, which adds to the visibility of the destination.

“It is always a delight to have celebrities over on our shores; this second visit from the South African Titan is another opportunity for us to shine as multi-faced destination. The calendar of activities included a myriad of the best available activities in Seychelles. The best ambassadors for Seychelles remain the people, who have had a memorable time after all and it is all we aim to achieve as we partnered with the organizers,” said Mrs. Francis.

As a form of gratitude, the Titans gave their sponsors signed t-shirts during a farewell event at Kenwyn House.

The Titans’ five-day stay in Seychelles was documented by a DStv production crew.

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

Seychelles charms featured at South Korea’s Hana Tour International Travel Show 2019 (HITS)

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Korean travelers and partners had a glimpse of the beauty of the destination as Seychelles featured at the 13th Hana Tour International Travel Show from June 7, 2019 to June 9, 2019 at KINTEX exhibition center, Goyang City in South Korea.

The three-day exhibition gathered the participation of over 700 organizations and companies, including tourism boards, airlines, and hotels.

Seychelles, represented by its marketing body the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) was lodged within an 18sqm stand with the destination brand image design focusing the beach the granite feature, which commanded the attention of many visitors to the stand.

The Seychelles delegation included Mrs. Amia Jovanovic-Desir, the Director for India, South Korea, Australia and South East Asia, Mrs. Judy Yun, newly appointed representative for the Seychelles on the South Korean market, Mr. Jean-Francois Figaro, Senior Officer – Strategic Planning & Market Intelligence and Ms. Jill Freminot- E-Marketing Executive.

Aside from meeting with the Seychelles team to discuss about the destination and its features, an assortment of events were organized at the stand to retain visitors’ interest. 

The activities included the spinning Roulette through which each participant had to mention the word Seychelles as many times as indicated in order to receive a branded water bottle. The spinning Roulette saw the participation of over 600 hundred visitors, which were a combination of families, couples and children.

Visitors were also invited to take a photograph at our stand with the Seychellois staff and the iconic Coco-de-Mer, the heaviest and largest nut in the world. Visitors then were invited to upload the photo on their social media page with the hashtags #Seychelles #HITS.

The highlight of the STB’s participation at the HANA 2019 remains the lucky draw, which saw the signing up of more than 5,000 visitors, all wishing to be the lucky winner of a return trip to Seychelles for two persons.

During the 3 days, the various visitors- including individual visitors -FIT, potential honeymooners, as well as retirees showed their extensive interest in Seychelles as a holiday destination. 

As part of its participation at the HANA 2019, the STB conducted a rigorous study on the Korean market.  The exercise was successfully conducted by STB the Senior Officer – Strategic Planning & Market Intelligence, Mr. Jean-Francois Figaro whose main objective was to facilitate the Consumer Insight Survey designed for this exhibition.

The aim of the study was to generate important insight into South Korea as a source market for the Seychelles and better understand the needs and desires of South Korean travelers.

Speaking about the collection of figure at the HANA 2019, the STB Director for India, South Korea, Australia and South East Asia, mentioned that it is essential for the tourism Board to have a better understanding of the challenges faced by the STB office in Korea and Korean Tour Operators in their attempt to successfully promote and sell the destination.

To achieve these objectives Mr. Figaro together with other members of the Seychelles team gathered responses from more than 275 participants over the three-day period through the administration of survey questionnaires.

The STB’s presence at the HANA 2019 caught the attention of numerous Korean Media representatives and STB Director for the market, Mrs. Jovanovic–Desir offered several media interviews to share the latest information and further promote the destination.

‘’Most of the tour operators and agents that we have met are focusing on the honeymooner’s segment and visitors who visited our stand believe that Seychelles is only for the high-end clients. I have thus informed them that Seychelles is a destination, which cater for demand from a broad range of income brackets.  We will continuously identify the appropriate marketing strategies and tools in order to increase the Seychelles’ image in South Korea, with the aim of changing this negative mind-set of the consumers,” said Mrs. Jovanovic-Desir.

“Seychelles is known as a dream and paradise holiday destination that people wish to visit once in their lifetime. This fair definitely allows increase Seychelles visibility and people’s awareness towards destination,” added Mrs. Yun.

While in South Korea, Mrs. Jovanovic-Desir together and Mr. Figaro guided by Mrs. Yun met with some key players and trade partners in Seoul in a series of sales calls organized ahead of time. These included visits to tour Operating Company including Honeymoon Resort, Mode Tour, Vanilla Island and Dream TNE.

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