Daily Archives: July 14, 2017

Seychelles reports find of possible plane debris, tells Malaysia

The Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) said scientists researching birds and turtles had found the debris washed up on Farqhar.

Malaysians take part in a candle-light vigil to mark the one-month anniversary of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight. Picture: AFP.

VICTORIA Seychelles reported on Thursday the discovery of two pieces of debris that seemed to be from an aircraft and said it had notified Malaysia, whose Flight MH370 vanished in 2014 with 239 people aboard.

The Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) said scientists researching birds and turtles had found the debris washed up on Farqhar, one of the islands that make up the tropical Indian Ocean nation.

The direction of flow of the sea currents make it likely that the (debris) came from the general direction where other parts (of MH370) have been found in Indian Ocean countries, a senior SCAA official who asked not to be named told Reuters.

Michael Payet, a spokesman for the state agency that manages all Seychelles islands, said the largest of the two bits of debris was about 120 cm long and 30 cm (one foot) wide and appeared to be made of aluminium and carbon fibre.

It could be part of an engine cover, he said.

The SCAA was in contact with Malaysian authorities, who have shown an interest, and with whom we expect to work closely, the aviation authority said in a statement.

Few traces of the Boeing 777 airliner have turned up over more than three years of searching since it disappeared in March 2014 with 239 passengers and crew aboard soon after take-off from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, bound for Beijing.

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Seychelles reports find of possible plane debris, tells Malaysia - Eyewitness News

Seychelles has been named the top island destination in Africa and the Middle East in the Travel + Leisures 2017 Worlds Best Awards. Its the second year in a row that Seychelles is rated in the top spot in this category by Travel + Leisure.

Results of the 22nd travel + leisures worlds best awards were revealed on Tuesday 11th July. This is based on an annual survey, which allows readers of the New York-based travel magazine to rate their travel experiences around the globe. Readers get to share their opinions on top hotels, islands, cities, airlines, cruise lines, spas, among others.

The best islands by region are rated on a number of characteristics including their natural attractions, beaches, activities & sights, restaurants, food, people & friendliness and value. Their romantic appeal also feature as an optional criteria. For each characteristic, respondents are asked to give a rating based on a five-point scale of excellence.

Boasting lush tropical vegetation, powder-white beaches and clear turquoise waters, Seychelles a 115-island archipelago in the western Indian Ocean came out on top of the readers list when it comes to the Africa & Middle East region. Mauritius has been voted the second-best island destination and Madagascar is third.

Announcing Seychelles number 1 position, Travel + Leisure quoted one readers description of the islands as saying: It is like you are in the Garden of Eden.

Commenting on the award, the Seychelles Tourism Boards Regional Director for Africa & the Americas, David Germain said: Achieving the distinction of Top Island in Africa and the Middle East for the second year in a row is a tremendous honor for the Seychelles, recognizing that the region has much to offer in terms of world-class island experiences.

Mr. Germain noted that that the Seychelles Tourism Board continues to build a solid trade relations platform with the USA and Canadian outbound tour operators, travel agents and other trade partners in North America. He said that winning the award for a second consecutive year, is evidence that the STBs marketing strategy in North America is working.

The Award helps to garner recognition, and provides a significant amount of visibility for our islands in North America and the region. The STB will continue to share and present the culture and tourism attributes of Seychelles to both the trade and consumers in the various North American cities, with the aim of increasing tourists arrival to Seychelles from this part of the world, said Mr. Germain.

Visitor arrivals from the Americas to the Seychelles has increased by 69 percent from January to June.

Mr. Germain will be receiving the award for Seychelles, at a ceremony which will bring all winners together in New York City on July 26. The award ceremony will be hosted by the Editor in Chief of Travel + Leisure, Nathan Lump.

Commenting on the choices of the readers this year, Mr. Lump said: Whats clear to me this year is how much they are drawn to experiences that arent just enjoyable but provide something richer cultural immersion, mental and physical well-being, a true sense of adventure.

Its not easy to satisfy this group, but the destinations, hotels and companies that are doing it know that todays traveler cares about a lot more than creature comforts, he added.

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Seychelles named top island destination in Africa & Middle East - eTurboNews

Seychelles has been enjoying unprecedented exposure on South African TV in the last three months. Besides the much publicized 7th season of Tropika Islands of Treasure filmed in Seychelles and aired on SABC 3 for 12 consecutive weeks the island destination is being featured in several other shows.

Dan Nicoll, the host of a celebrity talk show aired on SuperSport 1, made his debut with a rod in the waters of Alphonse in early June, showcasing the unique fly fishing adventure offered on the island by experienced fisherman Keith Rose-Innes and his team.

The Dan Nicoll Show, which hosts a range of sports and lifestyle celebrities from South Africa and beyond showcased a feature entitled Fishing Paradise in Seychelles which portrayed Alphonse not only as a leisure-oriented island, but also one which offers a range of activities to its guests. Besides fly-fishing, Alphonse one of the outlying islands of the Seychelles archipelago boasting kilometers of pristine tropical shorelines, lagoons and sea flats also offers diving, snorkeling, pedal skis, pedal boats and windsurfing.

After a week of fishing in both deep waters and on the flats, Nicoll described his first fly fishing experience as one he would never forget, adding that it has certainly given me plenty of reasons to come back.

Another TV personality, Gerrie Pretorius also visited the Seychelles for his Afrikaans Show, Leef Jou Reis (Live Your Journey).

He was able to explore the underwater world of the Seychelles while scuba diving and snorkeling at Le Meridien Fishermans Cove.

Once again, Seychelles came across as one of the most desirable destinations, offering some of the best snorkeling sites in the Indian Ocean. The tropical climate all-year round and unspoiled nature is something which has been proven to appeal to any potential visitor.

Its not only the Seychelles natural beauty that has caught the attention of South African media, as the islands conservation efforts have also been recognized. The 50/50 environmental program me on SABC 2 has so far broadcasted two episodes on Seychelles.

The first episode earlier in June featured the country as a pioneer in the field of conservation and how it is implementing the nationwide ban on common plastic items. The ban officially went into effect on 1st of July, meaning people will have to use replace their plastic bags, plates, or Styrofoam takeaway boxes with more environmentally-friendly alternatives. Government agencies are being joined by several non-governmental organizations to spearhead the campaign to see a more sustainable Seychelles.

Episode 12 aired on the last Sunday of June showcased how conservationists in Seychelles are utilizing their green fingers to save ocean reefs. The presenter Bertus Louw joined staff of Nature Seychelles for some underwater coral gardening.

Nature Seychelles a local non-governmental organization has developed a successful coral gardening technique which is helping to restore coral reefs affected by bleaching events in the Seychelles waters.

Both episodes have commended Seychelles for its excellent efforts in conservation.

It is to be noted that the exposure on South African TV falls in line with the STBs drive to reach South African consumers on a much broader scale. All programs featuring Seychelles had the added benefit of being broadcast during prime-time slots in the evenings, which means they reached maximum viewers.

The Tropika series is already believed to have won Seychelles over 10 million Rand-worth of exposure on the South African market.

Commenting on the ongoing and extensive coverage of the islands on national TV in South Africa, the Director of the Seychelles Tourism Boards office in South Africa, Lena Hoareau said that Seychelles was enjoying great mileage from the ongoing exposure.

We have intensified our marketing activities this year for both trade and consumer, which means that while we are equipping the trade with more knowledge on the destination through training and workshops, which will help them turn over more sales to Seychelles, South African consumers are also gaining a better understanding and insight into the destination through the awareness created by the different TV programs, she said.

Mrs. Hoareau added that there has been a notable increase in inquiries about the Seychelles, which serves as proof that these programs are helping to boost the destinations profile on the market.

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Greater destination awareness as Seychelles draws extensive exposure on South African TV - eTurboNews