Daily Archives: July 13, 2017

Bigger, better, taller and more expensive is becoming less of a trend as top tourism destinations globally are shifting focus to the preservation and conservation of their tourism heritage and natural resources.

In many ways, the Seychelles has long since been at the forefront in protecting its environment against the possible adverse effects that can come as a result of tourism. Despite its small size, the island destination has actively been working to manage its tourism development with due regards to the environment. From reducing, reusing and the recycling of waste materials to actively promoting sustainable living to both residents and visitors, Seychelles Government and Environmental NGOs are doing its share to protect the environment.

Probably one of the most fascinating developments, although not directly linked to conservation, is that, apart from 18 pre-approved hotel developments, the Seychelles government has banned large hotel developments indefinitely in what has been coined the moratorium on large hotel developments.

While the idea behind the moratorium was not to halt the development of all projects completely, it was implemented to encourage the construction of smaller locally owned resorts, reflecting Seychelles Creole architecture and culture. Perhaps a better understanding of this is that the Seychellois have a monopoly on hotels and resorts of up to 15 rooms or villas with this segment strictly reserved for local investors into the hospitality industry. Thus, putting the business back in Seychellois hands.

However, with more than half of the Seychelles land area and also a large section of the ocean surrounding the islands set aside for conservation, the moratorium has also proven to be instrumental in preserving the natural veracity of many of the untouched and natural areas and resources the Seychelles has to offer.

Despite growing tourism numbers, the moratorium also hinders the possibility that the Seychelles will become and overdeveloped mass tourism destination, leaving future visitors with an authentic and true island destination.

Although the hotel project was initially part of the 18 new tourism establishments excluded from the moratorium on the construction of large hotels, the Citizens Initiative took every effort to ensure public concern was raised on the project.

An earlier biodiversity assessment of the Grand Police showed that this specific location is considered an international key biodiversity area (KBA). It is flanked by two other key diversity areas on the hills of the Collines du Sud which are currently being merged. It is also a freshwater wetland and home to two species of endemic, critically endangered and nationally protected terrapins Torti Soupap as well as being a potential foraging area for sheath tail bats.

The group launched a comprehensive campaign on social media to gather public opinion to strengthen its cause and also organised a march and launched a petition, whereby over 7,500 signatures were acquired and submitted to the head of state. After meeting with Seychelles President Danny Faure, the acquired evidence and petition was submitted to cabinet ministers who agreed that steps are taken to have the section of land returned to the government and be declared a protected area.

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#CSIMonth: Why the Seychelles' ban on large hotel developments is a good thing - Bizcommunity.com

VICTORIA Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, will be introducing SITAs state-of-the-art common-use passenger processing systems (CUPPS) at Seychelles International Airport from today. This investment provides greater flexibility for international airlines operating from the airport by allowing them to share common-use terminal equipment for check-in and boarding.

The airline which provides ground-handling services to airlines operating from Seychelles International Airport is currently upgrading its technology to ensure a smooth travel experience every step of the way. The upgrade is being performed in partnership with the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority and SITA, a global technology provider to the air transport industry.

The new systems will optimize the use of terminal facilities, speed up the flow of passengers and improve service levels for all international travelers flying from Seychelles International Airport.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said: The new common-use terminal equipment will enable Air Seychelles to connect to various Departure Control Systems used by other airlines operating to Seychelles, providing more flexibility to our ground handling operations.

Even more importantly, it will enable us to streamline the check-in and boarding process for all the international travelers that are handled at Seychelles International Airport, making sure they have a smooth experience. This development from SITA follows the long list of innovative technological solutions which we have implemented to ensure an improved guest experience.

Gilbert Faure, Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority, said: Introducing cutting-edge CUPPS infrastructure at Seychelles International Airport puts us on par with some of the most modern airports in the world. Having a standardized system for handling passengers will improve the airport experience for all international travelers, irrespective of the airline they are flying with, which is a fantastic achievement. We have developed a strong relationship with both Air Seychelles and SITA and are pleased to have worked together to install this new technology."

Maneesh Jaikrishna, Vice President Indian Subcontinent, Eastern & Southern Africa said: Our common-use systems bring new efficiencies to Seychelles International Airport for both Air Seychelles and other operators. This in turn will have a dramatic impact on passengers who will benefit from a smooth and seamless travel experience.

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Air Seychelles introduces state-f-the-art passenger handling ... - Travel Daily News International

What do Indian travelers usually look for in a destination, what are their needs and expectations when it comes to Seychelles and what can be done to further develop the market?

The Seychelles Tourism Board, local and Indian trade partners were recently given the opportunity to ponder on these questions in a half-day seminar dubbed The Indian Traveler.

The seminar was held at the Avani Seychelles Barbarons Resort and Spa on Friday 30th June.

India is still a relatively new market for the islands whose bulk of visitors originate from Europe. STBs efforts really started 4 years ago, with the appointment of its representation office, based in Mumbai.

2016 was a great year for the Indian market with total arrivals amounting to 10,916, which represented an 88 percent increase over 2015 figures, finishing the year as the 10th largest source market for Seychelles. From January to 2nd July 2017, a total of 6,653 visitors from India have disembarked in Seychelles compared to 5,680 during the same period in 2016 representing an increase of 17 percent. With great accessibility; enjoying 5 direct flights a week from Mumbai, Seychelles is however yet to see the desired growth on this market.

One of the guest speakers at the seminar, Jai Bhulwalaand, the founder of a Mumbai-based travel agent Holidays Box gave an overview of the typical Indian traveler.

Seychelles is new in this market and the Indians are very different to Europeans, Indians are a lot about customized features and shorter stays, very geared on value for money options, he said.

Mr. Bhulwalaand said that Seychelles has it all but just needs to be packaged and delivered in a way that would be even more appealing to the Indian visitors.

Theres a very positive trend in bookings to come to Seychelles, and this is being boosted by more road shows where representatives can come and gain exposure for their own experience and to promote Seychelles, he added.

After directing efforts at promoting honeymoon, family, adventure, eco-tourism, small groups, wellness and spa holidays in Seychelles among Indian travelers, the STB more recently started to focus on Indias destination wedding segment. And during the seminar it was confirmed that Seychelles Indian market definitely has potential for further growth, especially within the honeymoon and wedding segment.

Mr. Parthip Tyagarajan, the founder of weddingsutra.com, a popular online platform already promoting Seychelles as a wedding destination, noted that there are several opportunities to tap into considering the various segments involved in an Indian wedding.

There are several stages in an Indian wedding, and Seychelles may be ideal as the proposal destination, as well as the pre-wedding photoshoot and/or the family moon which is where the family comes to relax after the wedding, said Mr. Tyagarajan.

While the wedding segment remains the main focus, it was agreed that there was a need to ensure that all potential Indian travelers are given the opportunity to hear about the Seychelles islands and its products.

Ms. Lubaina Sheerazi the chief operating officer at Mumbai-based Blue Square Consultants, which represents the STB in India said many of the almost 22,000 tourists that have visited Seychelles over the past three years, have been involved in word of mouth publicity, leading to increasing interests in the destination. She added that there is a need to build on this advantage to further increase the visitor numbers.

Going further, Mr. Ashutosh Mehere the chief operating officer of Alliances at Cox & Kings, one of the oldest travel company headquartered in India urged the STB and local trade partners to find ways to ensure that there are more local goods available as well as more activities on which the Indians can spend as they love to splurge on extras.

Air Seychelles head of marketing, loyalty and guest affairs Ms. Sabrina Agathine also a guest speaker at the seminar spoke about the airlines connection to Indian highlighting the 5 weekly flights from Mumbai to the Seychelles and its code share with Jet Airways to other destinations in India. Ms Agathine also elaborated on Air Seychelles short-term objectives to benchmark itself against competing airlines and destinations when it comes to the Indian market.

In her introductory remarks at the event, the Chief Executive of the STB, Mrs. Sherin Francis highlighted the fact that India being just a three-hour flight away stands as a prime destination for Seychelles, adding that that the STB would like to see increased tailor-made efforts to ensure that Indian travelers enjoy a wonderful experience in the Seychelles.

It is an opportunity right there and then, ready for us to tap into. We just need to understand their requirements, and to recognize what makes them tick, said Mrs. Francis.

At the end of the seminar, Mrs. Francis also called on stakeholders to invest in the little things rather than restructuring their business model around the Indian market.

A small effort goes a long way and with the Indian market its important that what is on offer in a specific package is made available, although they might not use it during their stay, she added.

It is important to note that with over 62 million passport holders who are potential travelers, India has emerged as the worlds second fastest growing outbound market after China in terms of visitor numbers.

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The Indian traveler: Seychelles Tourism explores potential of Indian market - eTurboNews

Seychelles has for the second consecutive year been named the topisland destination in Africa and the Middle East in the Travel + Leisures 2017 Worlds Best Awards.

The survey is held every year and readers are asked to weigh in on travel experiences around theglobe, to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise lines, spas, airlinesamong others.

Islands are rated on the following characteristics: natural attractions/beaches, activities/sights,restaurants/food, people/friendliness, value, and as optional criteria, its romantic appeal. For eachcharacteristic, respondents are asked to rate a candidate on a five-point scale of excellence.

Boasting white and pristine sandy beaches, Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean,came out on top of the readers list.

Seychelles Tourism Board, Director for Africa & the Americas, David Germain says, Achieving thedistinction of top island in Africa and the Middle East for the second year in a row is a tremendoushonour for the Seychelles, recognising that the region has much to offer in terms of world-classisland experiences.

He adds that Seychelles is a unique group of islands with outstanding natural beauty and uniqueattractions, a destination with a committed approach to sustainable tourism, providing an exampleof best practice for other destinations around the world.

The Award helps to garner recognition, and provide a significant amount of visibility for our islandsto a worldwide audience, It proves further, that our beautiful islands is becoming more and morepopular, topping the list of the most desirable holiday destinations worldwide, says Mr Germain.

Visitor arrivals from South Africa to the Seychelles increased by 19 percent from January to June.

To date, the total number of holidaymakers that have disembarked in Seychelles stands at 159 659,representing a 21 percent increase compared to the same time last year, already positioning theisland nation to record a tourism upswing in 2017.

For more details on this years Travel & Leisure Worlds Best Awards visitwww.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest

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Seychelles named top island destination in Africa and the Middle East - Independent Online