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Vallée de Mai Wins 2020 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award

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The Vallée de Mai wins 2020 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award for 2020, based on 2019 Traveller reviews. This latest recognition builds on past achievements as bestowed by TripAdvisor and other travel reviewing bodies. In light of this award the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) is already reflecting on World Tourism Day, celebrated on September 27, and is heartened by the high reviews of visitors to the Vallée de Mai.

In a communique, Kanika Soni, Tripadvisor’s Chief Commercial Officer, stated that “Winners of the 2020 Travellers’ Choice Awards should be proud of this distinguished recognition. Although it’s been a challenging year for travel and hospitality, we want to celebrate our partners’ achievements. Award winners are beloved for their exceptional service and quality. Not only are these winners well deserving, they are also a great source of inspiration for travellers as the world begins to venture out again.”

Although a catastrophic year for global tourism, with Seychelles particularly affected, such news is heartening and hopefully helps attract tourist to not only the Vallée de Mai, but Praslin and Seychelles as a whole. Added with the site’s new booking system, refusal to accept cash payments, enhanced health and safety measures and safe tourism label, SIF feels that Seychelles most visited natural attraction is better prepared to navigate these uncertain times.

In receiving the news, Vallée de Mai Site Manager, Marc Jean-Baptiste said, “This achievement reflects our team’s hard work and determination in protecting and managing this site’s outstanding universal values. It also shows the effort we are making to meet and exceed the expectations of our esteemed visitors while ensuring sustainability, as prioritized by ourselves and UNESCO. So in all it’s very rewarding to receive and share this endorsement that signifies the team spirit and clearly shows that we are on the right path.”

Catherina Meriton, Vallée de Mai’s Administration and Accounts Officer added “I am overjoyed by this major award that demonstrates outstanding team effort and diligence delivering an exceptional experience to our visitors. Chapeau to all of our team we have truly made Seychelles proud!”

SIF’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley stated “I am extremely proud of the Vallée de Mai team that is at the center of winning such a prestigious award and to my knowledge this is a Seychelles first. At the same time, we would like to share this award with our tourism partners in particular, and I am convinced that the effects of the award will translate in more tourism opportunities for the Praslin community at large. This award is also testimony that in difficult times, as we are experiencing now, protected areas and their management have a crucial role to play in how to overcome crisis.  This is also an opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to all involved and the guidance received that resulted for the valley to be certified a safe tourism operation specifically the Public Health Authority and the Department of Tourism.”

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

The Vallée de Mai reopens

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As of June 1, 2020, visits to the Vallée de Mai will be possible again with the addition of a new booking system that will be in operation as of May 25. This new booking system is part of the Seychelles Islands Foundation’s (SIF) efforts to ensure the health and safety of all visitors to the Vallee de Mai and its staff during the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. Though tourist numbers are low at present, SIF believes that reopening the Vallée de Mai for visitors is an essential part of its community service, in providing a green space for the local community and the public in general. Since April 9, SIF has had to close Seychelles’ most visited natural site due to the global pandemic. Although security and surveillance operations have been active throughout this closure, it has only been since the May 4, with the easing of restrictions, that research monitoring and operations at the Vallée de Mai have resumed. 

With the introduction of this new booking system, SIF is able to reopen this UNESCO World Heritage Site to the public. Despite the difficult current circumstances Seychellois are still able to enter the park for free, whist ticket prices for tourists remain unchanged, at SCR350, for the time being.  To book and visit, all Vallée de Mai visitors (Seychellois, GOP holders and foreigners alike), must either email: [email protected], call 2595400 or Whatsapp message 2595400 at least a day ahead of their visit. Visits will be booked on the basis of selecting 1 hour slots during visiting hours. It must be noted that group sizes are limited to 4 people per visit and that visiting hours are between 9.00 am – 4.00 pm, in which the last entry for the day is 3.00 pm. In order to make a booking, visitors must provide the following details: full name of organizers of the visit, their contact number, the number of people in their group (maximum 4 per group) and the date and time of their visit.

Bookings can be made throughout the working week (8.00 am – 4.00 pm). However, for weekend visits, bookings must be made by Friday 12.00 pm latest. Once bookings are made, they will be confirmed or rescheduled via email or a phone call within 1 hour (during the working week) of the booking. To cancel or reschedule, visitors must inform SIF 4 hours ahead of time.  Furthermore, while tourist numbers remain low, visitors will be able to book multiple one hour slots for the duration of their visit. However, this allocation of slots may change depending on the volume of bookings. 

The creation of this booking system is part of SIF’s efforts to ensure its sites, staff and visitors are following directives set out by the Department of Health and best practices when it comes to operating under the new reality of COVID-19. Other measures SIF is enacting in the face of these unprecedented times include developing a COVID-19 health and safety guideline for its staff, only accepting electronic payments for Vallée de Mai ticket sales and other transactions, as well as the installation of hand sanitizer dispensers and other facilities to enhance levels of hygiene and social distancing. 

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