Sri Lanka set to join Vanilla Islands regional grouping |31 July 2014

Sri Lanka will be joining the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands grouping by end-2014, it has been announced.
It is expected that this outcome would leverage the consortium's inter-island packages to drive tourism.

The Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands regional organisation, which was set up in 2010, comprises the islands of Comoros, La Reunion, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mayotte and Seychelles as member islands.

“The prime objective of the Vanilla Islands regional organisation is to position the Indian Ocean region as a quality world-class holiday destination," said Pascal Viroleau, chief executive of the Vanilla islands.
 
“We are promoting inter-island packages and part of the strategy to increase visitor numbers to member destinations is to prepare new products and packages...and to include new members,” he said.

 Priority markets for Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands are France, Germany, the UK, Japan, and India.
The regional organisation has partnered Air Austral for the Vanilla Islands pass that allows travellers to visit several islands with discounted fares and prices.

Kapil Berera, chief executive of Astral Travels of New Delhi, said: “Most visitors to Sri Lanka would prefer to combine it with another smaller island destination like the Maldives.”

Mitesh Dani, managing director of Parul Tours & Travels Mumbai, explained: “Island destinations offer exotic travel options and if more islands join Vanilla Islands, the pool of products that can be offered will be immense.”

He observed that the islands’ close proximity would allow for seamless travel connections.
Alain St Ange, the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture and the first President of the regional organisation for two consecutive terms, has been advocating the need to the six original member islands to grow their regional organisation by inviting other islands of the Indian Ocean to join.

In May this year Minister St Ange handed over the reigns of the presidency to Didier Robert, the President of the Regional Council of La Reunion Island.