A high-powered delegation from Seychelles tourism and
business community visited New Delhi and Mumbai to position Seychelles as a
perfect holiday destination for Indian Holidaymakers and deepen tourism ties.
The delegation led by the Hon’ble Minister of Tourism and Culture Mr. Alain St.
Ange was joined by leading dignitaries including Ms. Sherin Naiken, CEO,
Seychelles Tourism Board; Mrs. Rose-Marie Hoareau, Director of Marketing,
Seychelles Tourism Board and other officials from aviation and national carrier
Air Seychelles to meet key officials in India. The Hon. Minister Alain St. Ange
met his India counterpart Mr. Shripad Yesso Naik to discuss tourism cooperation
between the two countries.
At a press meet in Mumbai, Mr. Alain St. Ange today
highlighted various aspects of this cooperation and made key announcements. The
India-Seychelles association goes a long way with the Seychellois citizens
having a historic Indian connection. This camaraderie has a renewed focus and
is set to gain further momentum as the national carrier Air Seychelles will
commence direct flights between India and Seychelles in the near future. These
multiple flights in a week will cover the distance in around four hours. He
stressed upon India’s significance as a potential market for Seychelles Tourism
Board and presented the vision to deepen the core of this co-operation over the
next five years with a view to position Seychelles as an exotic and
all-inclusive destination to target Indian travellers.
The presentation also showcased how the association is
expected to further boost this travel trade between the two countries. With increased awareness as a result of
targeted initiatives by the Seychelles Tourism Board, India’s travel trade
community will be able to place Seychelles high on the destination list for
targeted Indian travellers. The Q1 of 2014 has seen a 15% growth as compared to
the Q1 of 2013 and they expect this upward trend to continue across 2014 and
2015.
Besides the flow of Indian tourists to Seychelles, Indian
filmmakers also have a great opportunity to gain access to the stunning and
unexplored filming locations of the exotic islands. An association with
filmmakers is in turn going to be beneficial for positioning Seychelles as a
complete holiday destination for Indian travellers.
The global tourism industry is experiencing winds of change.
As the eastern world gains a higher prominence on the global travel scenario,
locations like Seychelles that offer a wide array of travel experiences for
aspirational travellers are at the forefront.
Specifically strengthening upon the significance of the Indian market
for Seychelles Tourism Board, Hon. Minister Mr. Alain St. Ange commented, “India’s
outbound tourism potential is unparallel and we are here to claim a share of
this growing market. Our interaction with the Indian travel trade community and
linking them to their counterparts from Seychelles reinforced their confidence
that we are committed to develop India as a strong tourist source market.”
Alongside this strategic visit, a first ever Seychelles Road
show was held in New Delhi and Mumbai where tourism trade partners of India met
Seychelles tourism operators to kick start a seamless working
relationship. Ms. Lubaina Sheerazi, Head
Blue Square Consultants, Representative Office of Seychelles Tourism Board, who
conceptualizes and implements marketing strategies for Seychelles in India
expressed, “We are targeting honeymoon, luxury, adventure and experiential
travellers and leveraging various mediums to reach out and engage with them. We
will also be conducting road shows, destination trainings, participating in
trade fairs, investing in both ATL and BTL activities and scheduling familiarization
trips as a part of our strategy.”
True to its tagline, ‘Another world’, Seychelles is all set
to mesmerise India with its diversity and uniqueness. A lesser-explored getaway
for Indian travel enthusiasts, Seychelles has it all, from a relaxed tropical
retreat, action-packed adventure tour, a rejuvenating beach experience, island
hopping to a great mix of tranquillity and thrill. A melting pot of cultures
and recently named the ‘Best International Destination for Relaxation’ at the
Lonely Planet India Magazine’s Readers Travel Awards. Seychelles is home to the
most immaculate beaches, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and state-of-the-art
adventure activities. Besides, events like International Carnaval de Victoria
in April and the Creole festival in October are sure to wow the seeker within every
Indian traveller.
Blue Square Consultants, Representative office of The
Seychelles Tourism Board in India, is responsible for implementing Seychelles'
national tourism policy, promoting the destination, research, product
development and monitoring of standards.
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