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The Seychelles showcased in Jeddah Intl. Travel & Tourism Exhibition

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Strengthening the destination’s presence in the GCC market, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) showcased the tropical paradise in the 10th edition of the Jeddah Intl. Travel & Tourism Exhibition (JTTX10).

Beautiful pristine Seychelles was featured in one of the leading travel event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA), which unites a diverse range of destinations and travel industry services.

The platform provided an ideal opportunity for the destination to be visible in the KSA by meeting new partners and reinforcing the existing relationship with the local trade.

Fulfilling the STB’s mandate of increasing the destination’s visibility, through the presence of the STB representative in Dubai, Mr. Ahmed Fathallah, amplified awareness of the island’s renowned beauty and its offerings to both consumers and exhibitors present.

The event also allowed STB to update the travel trade on the country’s recent tourism developments.

Expressing his satisfaction at the outcome of the event, Mr. Fathallah said “We are exhilarated at the outcome of the JTTX10 as we are once again able to further inform the attendees, promote the destination, and strengthen our relationship with some of our trade partners here in Jeddah. Their positive reception and support to Seychelles continues to inspire our team to continue on working harder and do whatever we can for our trade partners and for those in the region that wishes to experience the islands of Seychelles.”

With a 17.49% increase in total visitor arrivals from 2018 to 2019, and January 2020 visitor arrivals rising over twice the number compared to the same month of last year; the destination’s presence in the KSA, one of the country’s main markets in the region, is crucial.

More news about Seychelles.

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

Seychelles Tourism Board brings paradise to the 2020 New York Times Travel Show

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On its mission to charm North American visitors, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) took part in the New York Times Travel Show from Friday February 24 to Sunday February 26, 2020 at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center in New York City.

The Travel Show united over 175 countries including Seychelles under one roof where cultural and destination knowledge was passed on to over 35,000 attendees inlcuding tourism professionals and holidaymakers.

Taking full advantage of media, travel trade and consumer presence during the exhibition, Mr David Germain, the STB  Regional Director for Africa and the Americas, met up with these key industry players of the North American Market.

These included the press and airlines such as Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines, whose North American agents will be hosted in the Seychelles for a familiarisation trip in the coming months.

The show’s global platform ideally gave STB the opportunity to perform its mandate of increasing the destination’s visibility and awareness of its offerings to the North American Market. Especially with greater accessibility to the destination through Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Emphasising on the importance of the country’s participation, Mr Germain said “ this is the 7th time that the Seychelles participated at the New York Times Travel Show, an exhibition which brings together important African Travel Specialists in search of product and destination information about Africa and the Indian ocean islands. It is important to be present to consistently promote our islands in North America”.

The Seychelles dedicated stand visibly portrayed the exotic flora and fauna of the islands as well as its turquoise waters and vibrant marine life, catching the eyes of many visitors.

The STB staff present at the stand provided support and assitance to the travel trade to sell the destination on their end whilst enticing customers to experience the island life for themselves.

Visitors were captivated by the diverse activities of the tropical paradise; from diving with exquisite sea creatures and water sports to culinary experiences and discovering the creole culture through the arts.

The STB continuously increases the destination’s presence through participation in such travel fairs and conducting workshops for local travel and tourism partners in this market.

More news about Seychelles.

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

Seychelles Tourism Board strengthens MICE ties in Meetings Arabia and Luxury Travel Congress

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In attendance in the region’s largest platform for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibition (MICE), the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) alongside 7° South, a specialist Destinations Management Company from Seychelles, joins in the Meetings Arabia and Luxury Travel (MALT) Congress, where the islands showcased its potential as a destination for business and luxury travel.

The MALT Congress, held in the gorgeous Rixos Premium JBR Hotel in Dubai, was a 2-day event comprised of talks, panels, and various opportunities for buyers and destinations representatives to connect and establish business relationships.

Representing the destination at the event, the STB representative in Dubai, Mr. Ahmed Fathallah, and Mrs. Janet Rampal, Assistant Groups & Incentive Reservations Manager of 7° South, took the opportunity to meet with various clients in order to enlighten them about the Seychelles. 

Presenting the islands as an ideal destination with direct air connectivity and only 4 hours away from the Middle- East regions for business meetings and luxury travel, the team actively promoted the destination to various potential prominent buyers and organisations in the region.

During the meetings, discussions centered on MICE, key trends, sustainability and the many disruptors of business and luxury travel in the region, providing more insights on how to handle the Middle Eastern market. A striking point mentioned during the discussion according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is that the Middle East is one of the smallest, yet fastest growing regions in the world, with outbound travel quadrupling in the last 20 years.

 “Seychelles is a very popular romantic destination among this market and so over the years, it became somewhat of a ‘myth’ that the islands are just for honeymooners or weddings, albeit, it really is a great romantic destination – but we are here to share with our trade partners that Seychelles is a great destination even for MICE and business travel. There are plenty of properties in Seychelles that cater to this market and we will continue to strengthen our partnerships with the region’s MICE experts,” mentioned Mr. Fathallah.

The MALT Congress awarded a certificate of recognition to the STB for their support to the 8th Annual MALT Congress.

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

Quest in the Seychelles

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Words around the Island of Mahé spread like wild fire last week as English journalist and CNN International Anchor Richard Quest was spotted on the Islands.

Warmly welcomed by the tropical Seychelles atmosphere and the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Staff, Mr Richard Quest began his mission of discovering the essence of the utopia on Thursday February 20, 2020.

Placing the archipelago in the global spotlight, CNN’s renowned anchor and international business correspondent, along with his crew, filmed segments for his shows “Quest’s World of Wonder” and “Quest Means Business”.

In true creole hospitality, the STB assisted Mr. Quest and his crew during his stay by accompanying the team on their journey and facilitating logistics. Mr. Quest was also received by the Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine; Mr Didier Dogley, Principal Secretary of Tourism; Mrs Anne Lafortune’ Chief Executive of the STB; Mrs Sherin Francis and Deputy Chief Executive Ms Jenifer Sinon.

In his “Quest’s World of Wonder”, the team were captivated by Mahé’s rich history, the Eden of Praslin’s Vallee de Mai, the towering boulder of La Digue and the exotic wildlife of Bird Island.

Delving deep into the roots of the Creole community in Seychelles, the team also had the chance to meet many locals around the islands and discovered the soul of the Seychelles through its people and culture.

Mr Quest also learned more about the country’s efforts in the battle to preserve the pristine paradise through sustainability and eco-friendly solutions, and the national pride of being a pioneer in the conservation community.

Commenting on his visit, Mr Quest said, “Seychelles is an extraordinary place with a melting pot of people and incredible nature.”

Speaking about the visit of Mr. Quest, Mrs Sherin Francis STB chief Executive mentioned that the destination visibility would definitely be given a boost.  

“As the tourism board we have are at several interval extended invitation to Mr Quest to visit Seychelles. We are happy that finally Seychelles will feature in his travel show. The show is widely watched worldwide and I am sure it will generate immense visibility for the destination and that is why we did not hesitate to extend our support since the day the planning of the visit started. We would like to thank all the partners who have been very cooperative throughout his visit and for the appreciation the public have shown towards him. He has sure left the country with very fond memories,” said Mrs. Francis. 

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

Seychelles Destination training provided to North American Travel Trade

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Destination Seychelles hit the ground running in North America as the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) team conducted a “Seychelles product & destination” training session for 45 travel agents from the city of Chicago and the region.

STB Regional Director for Africa & the Americas, Mr. David Germain, took advantage of his presence in the City of Chicago, Illinois, for the Travel and Adventure Show, during the weekend of February 8, 2020 to February 10, 2020.

The chosen agents for the training included partners who are already involved with selling Africa and the Middle East, placing Seychelles as a unique destination in the region providing a perfect escapade designed for pristine nature and cultural diversity.

The Luncheon training session was held on Thursday February 7, 2020 at the Maggiano’s Restaurant, North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60654, USA.

The participants present at the event acquired updated information about Seychelles as a multifaceted destination, which includes a variety of recreational activities involving nature and its diversity of products. During the meeting, participants had the opportunity to ask questions regarding Seychelles in general.

Mr. Germain stated his satisfaction after the successful event and mentioned that the training Seminar is a very efficient tool to boost the confidence of the travel trade in North America to better understand and sell Seychelles.

Mr. Germain said: “We have seen the importance of those training sessions as it provides the STB with the perfect platform to introduce the agents to the archipelago. For the past 3 consecutive years since the STB initiated the training seminars in the various cities in the Americas, on the side-lined of its main event, the participants have not only increased in numbers, but the STB have also noticed the increased awareness of Seychelles in North America”

He further mentioned that, feedback from agents regarding the training included their appreciation at the commitment of the STB for the North American market.

 “There is currently a very positive trend in bookings to Seychelles from North America at the beginning of this new year, and this is being boosted by more training seminars where travel agents in North America continue to obtain vital tourism related information about the archipelago, and support from the Seychelles tourism board, to better sell Seychelles” said Mr. Germain.

The total number of visitor’s arrivals from the USA in 2019 amounts to 10,870 visitors representing an increase by 10 percent for the same period in 2018.

Seychelles as a destination needs no introduction to the affluent North American travellers today. In the last decade, the beautiful exotic destination has made a name for itself and the current visitor arrival figures from the Americas to the island destination confirm that the North American market is one with great potential.

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

Spotlight Africa Workshop, good debute for Seychelles in the African market

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Seychelles featured at the Spotlight Africa workshop in Lusaka, Zambia at the Radisson Blu Hotel on February 12, 2020 through another successful partnership between the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and Houston Travel Marketing Services.

The event, which kicked off on the evening of February 11, with a networking cocktail at the Latitude 15 Hotel provided an ideal informal setting for the STB team to meet with some 40 top senior executives of Travel Agencies and several major local Tour Operators, updating them with the destination’s latest development.

Throughout the networking event, the destination’s representative Senior Marketing Executive, Mrs. Natacha Servina and Marketing Executive, Ms. Ingride Laurencine had the opportunity to establish networks and cultivate interest for the destination.

The one-day workshop saw the participation of over 20 companies where the STB team seized the opportunity to bring forward Seychelles as a must-see paradise destination, close to the Zambian market.

Intensifying their marketing strategy during the event, the team included one-on-one meetings with participants, allowing them to divulge significant destination information to many of the tour operators and travel agents present at the workshop.

As part of the event, the participants were engaged in an exciting raffle draw where they had the opportunity to win a variety of prizes including flights, accommodation, safaris and other interesting goodies.

Commenting on the event, the STB Team expressed their satisfaction at the turnout of over 110 attendees from 66 different travel and tourism companies.

“Our continuous presence at the Spotlight is because of the reputation we had created for ourselves on the Zambian market. We are currently working on increasing the visibility of our beautiful islands in that part of the world as Lusaka is a rapidly growing commercial centre, with a large expat community presence and the Zambian economy is currently thriving. We remain a dream destination for many people in the region as they are becoming more aware of the destination’s accessibility. Our focus remains on increasing the country’s visibility in the African region,” said Mrs. Servina.

The STB team shared a taste of the Seychelles with the participants through the sublime gift of a Takamaka Rum Chest, which included two bottles of the renowned rum made locally in the Seychelles Islands and Ms Lisa from Mukwa Travel and Tours won the prize. 

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

Seychelles annual roadshow thrills partners in Brazilian cities

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In the second week of February, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and its partners showcased the beautiful exotic destination during the annual dedicated Seychelles Roadshow in Brazil.

The 3-day intensive promotional activity brought the dynamic Seychelles delegation to Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo where they met with Brazilian partners and conducted various informative activities about the destination. 

The delegation spearheaded by the STB team in Brazil included a group of local service providers diversifying the holiday options for the Brazilian market.

The hotel industry saw the participation of Hilton Seychelles, Constance Hotels and Tsogo Sun (MAIA Luxury Resort and Paradise Sun), while Creole Travel Services and Summer Rain Tours represented the Destination Management Companies and finally Coco Charter Seychelles, a luxury yacht company.

In Brasilia city, the Seychelles delegation met with 26 travel agents and tour operators over an informal setting, which included a brunch and business round with the local partners. During the event, the professionals were invited to watch a presentation about the destination, its possibilities and experiences, as well as videos of people who have already visited the country.

In Belo Horizonte city, where the delegation travelled, the event format remained the same and included 28 tourism professionals.

Saving the best for last, the city Sao Paulo city accommodated a bigger platform to the event as representatives of Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines and the yacht company Premium Charters were present alongside the islands’ delegation.  Recreating the Seychelles feel, the event took place at the Lar Mar bar, which has a beachy atmosphere, to bring the tropical climate of Seychelles to the Brazilian city.

With their feet in the sand, the 46 guests who attended the event enjoyed a chat with the journalist Andrea Miramontes and the influencer Rangel Vilas Boas about their experiences in Seychelles Finally, there was a business roundtable with all partners.

Broadening the reach of the Seychelles destination across the Portuguese speaking territories, the São Paulo event was broadcasted live on the YouTube GVA E-learning platform. 

More news about Seychelles.

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

Seychelles dazzles the city of Milan at the 40th edition of the Borsa Internazionale Turismo

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The island paradise of Seychelles took to the city of Milan in Italy for the 40th edition of the Borsa Internazionale Turismo from February 9, 2020 to February 11, 2020.

Held at Fiera Milano City, the fair featured the beautiful tropical destination with a Seychelles dedicated stand depicting the exotic landscapes of the archipelago, attracting many out of the 40,000 visitors present over the three days.

The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) team, which consisted of Market Executives Ms. Yasmine Pocetti and Ms. Rolira Young, represented the destination during the two days where they met with both consumers and trade partners.

Staying true to STB’s mandate the team increased the destination’s visibility through sharing information on its offerings to visitors and updating trade partners on recent developments and upcoming projects in view of enticing the Italian public to book their next holiday in Seychelles.

The fair also saw the presence of 1,100 exhibitors from 68 different countries including tour operators, tourism boards, DMC companies, airlines and hotel chains. Seizing the opportunity, the STB team organized meetings with some of these trade partners, presenting them with the opportunity to sell the Seychelles to their customers.

The STB Director for Italy, Turkey, Greece, Israel and the Mediterranean, Mrs. Monette Rose stated “the main trends on the Italian market appear to be focused on culture and eco-tourism, especially amongst the younger generation. With the richness of the creole culture and increased national efforts towards eco-tourism, the Seychelles is a dream destination for Italians.”

The Italian market is currently the top fifth market for the Seychelles; therefore, it is crucial for STB to continuously increase their efforts in keeping the destination visible and attractive to the locals and neighboring countries.

More news about Seychelles.

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

Fruitful start of the year for Seychelles on the Indian Market

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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) team hit India with a determined shock wave earlier this month as the organization participated to the OTM – Outbound Travel Mart 2020 in partnership with its national airline Air Seychelles at the Bombay Exhibition Center in Mumbai, India from February 3, 2020 to February 5, 2020.

Representing the tourism board, the team included Mrs. Amia Jovanovic- Desir, the STB Director for India, Australia and for South Asia alongside with representatives based in India Ms. Lubaina Sheerazi, Ms. Shakambri Soni and Ms. Priya Ghag and Air Seychelles was represented by its General Sales Agents based in India.

The two prime stakeholders of the Seychelles tourism industry marked their presence among the Indian travel fraternity, providing visibility to the destination as an ideal holiday destination with an easy access for the Indian market during the three-day trade fair.

OTM, which is considered one of the major fairs in the Mumbai region was attended by over fifteen thousand visitors, providing an excellent platform for the STB team present to the destination and showcase its multiple attributes to the Indian public.

 While at the 3 days at OTM, Mrs. Amia- Jovanovic Desir conducted a series fruitful of meetings with the trade partners.

Additional sales meetings with prominent tour operators in Mumbai further solidified the STB sales visit to India.

 The tour operators, which included boutique agencies such as Zion Vacations and Indiana Travels to big companies such as ARK Travels, FCM and Thomas Cook, have varying clientele and so the meetings allowed Mrs Jovanovic-Desir to gain insights on the destination’s performance as well as challenges faced in promoting the country in India. 

As part of the feedback received during her visit in India, Mrs. Jovanovic- Desir’s numerous new partners have expressed the interest to sell Seychelles to their clients. She mentioned that MICE is also a segment for the Seychelles on the Indian market.

Discussions were also oriented towards the need to increase availability of flights serving other key cities in India to Seychelles; several agents mentioned that this factor is widening the options for interest to our competitors Maldives and Mauritius and made a strong call to open up more flights access in order to obtain increase in visitor numbers.

Commenting on her Mumbai sales visits the STB Director for India, Australia and for South Asia stated her satisfaction to have renewed the tourism board’s relationship with the trade in Mumbai, she further stated that this visit has allowed her to note the various ground realities to further formulate strategies for the India market. 

“Seychelles saw a 4% increase in visitor arrivals from India with 14,338 visitors traveling to the country in 2019 vis-à-vis 13,918 visitors in 2018. The meetings at OTM and with trade partners in Mumbai provided a strong perspective for the single digit growth from India. One of our areas of investment on the Indian market will be B2B and B2C activities to boost the arrival figures in 2020,” said Amia Jovanovic- Desir.

More news about Seychelles.

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

The Seychelles brings “Sun and Sea” to Belgium Trade Fair

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Sunny Seychelles made a magnificent appearance through the participation of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) at the 62nd edition of Salon des Vacances, which was held from February 6, 2020 to February 9, 2020 in Brussels, Belgium. 

The salon des Vacances, a consumer event targeting the public, is the largest tourism event in Belgium with over 100,000 visitors, 800 exhibitors and 70 countries including Seychelles.

In the spirit of providing key attention to the small island destination, the Seychelles stand was rightly located at the entrance of the destination’s pavilion where the STB team met with visitors to inform them about the destination.

The STB team tasked to increase the visibility of the destination in Belgium included Mrs. Bernadette Willemin, the STB Regional Director for Europe and Ms. Myra Fanchette, STB Marketing Executive from the STB France Office, who for four days actively provided information about the destination and its potentials. 

Centred around the theme ‘Sun & Sea’, the stand, which was illustrating vibrant scenes of the Island destination’s exotic beaches and lush mountains, did not miss dazzling the Belgian visitors attending the fair complementing the presentation efforts made by the team.

Her Excellency Ms. Beryl Shirley Samson, Seychelles Ambassador in Belgium, paid a visit to the Seychelles stand making the event 62nd edition of Salon des Vacances a special one.

The event allowed the STB team to perform STB’s mandate to increase the destination’s visibility and raise awareness about its offerings through the distribution of information to potential holidaymakers. 

One particular aspect of the fair, which complimented the STB’s interest in participating in the event, were the themes chosen for this year; one of which was eco-tourism which is a major focus in the Seychelles, especially with increased severity of climate change.

Seychelles is an active advocate for sustainability and conservation in the Indian Ocean, and promotes eco-tourism on its shores as part of its ambition for a sustainable future. The Salon des Vacances, in Belgium undeniably provided a platform to sensitise both exhibitors and visitors about the destination’s firm environmental stands while giving the STB an opportunity to educate a wider audience about the beautiful pristine environment.  

As part of their promotional activities, the STB team seized the opportunity to promote the destination as a multifaceted place through adventure activities such as water sports and hiking. In the recent years, the country has hosted several sporting events such as FINA and the Eco-Friendly Marathon, attracting participation from all corners of the globe. The STB has also launched the SNT Trail, calling nature lovers to hike some of the scenic routes of the tropical paradise.

“We wanted to showcase the diversity and variety of our products, and the fact that Seychelles has something to offer each traveller. We thus brought to the fore our attributes including our unique flora and fauna, world class diving and fishing, exceptional cruising within our archipelago, the Seychellois culture among others while ensuring that the visitors to our stand got to know about the wide range of hotel infrastructure available, catering for all tastes and budgets,” said Mrs Willemin.

She further added, “We were surprised to see a good number of the visitors coming to see us who had already travelled to our country and were satisfied with the experiences on the ground.  They were thus the perfect ambassador for the ones who were at our booth for information.”

The Fair features amongst eight travel shows, which the STB office in France has attended in numerous places around France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, since the beginning of 2020 to promote destination Seychelles.

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