STB applauds Air Seychelles’ moves on the Americas |08 October 2011

This comment came following the news that Monica Ramchamdani, Air Seychelles' market coordinator for Europe and North America, recently visited Toronto in Canada with a mission to promote Seychelles.

While in Toronto, Ms Ramchamdani met travel agents and airline representatives to seek better ways to market Seychelles as a dream destination for Canadians.

“Seychelles is a year-round destination and a must-know for travel agents. It is more important for travel agents to know the destination before selling the airline,” said Ms Ramchandani.

“One barrier to attracting more Canadians to Seychelles is the fact that currently there are no code-share partnerships between Air Seychelles and Canadian carriers such as Air Canada or Air Transat,” she told travel agents in Toronto, adding: “This is something Air Seychelles is working on.”

Only 138 Canadians visited Seychelles in 2010. Toronto was the last stop of Ms Ramchandani’s European and North America tour.
 
This move by Air Seychelles is in line with the strategy set by the STB. David Germain, the tourism board's director for Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, has been working on the Americas for the last couple of years and is again personally heading a delegation to Brazil this month.

Mr St Ange has said that Seychelles needs to continue to diversify its market as it consolidates its main market which is Europe.

"The Americas remain a good potential market, especially when Seychelles is promoted in a twin centre package with an African safari. This is exactly why the tourism board launched, over a year ago, the tag line 'From the Big Five ...to the Best Five', pitching a Seychelles beach holiday after an African safari," said Mr St Ange.