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Vanilla Islands of the Indian Ocean sign agreement for cooperation with Costa Cruises |02 October 2015

 

 

 

Costa Cruises and the Vanilla Islands have signed an agreement for closer cooperation.

It was Norbert Stiekema, the executive vice-president for sales & marketing of Costa Cruises who joined Arnaud Martin, the chairman of the Mauritius Tourism Promotional Authority (MTPA), Alain St Ange, the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture, Patrick Serveaux, the President of Ile Reunion Tourisme (IRT) and Pascal Viroleau, the chief executive of the Vanilla Islands at the Top Resa tourism trade fair in Paris to formalise the document that was initially discussed in Seychelles during the 2015 Carnaval International de Victoria.

At the initial discussion Xavier-Luc Duval (the deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius), Didier Robert (the regional President of La Reunion), Alain St Ange (the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture), Michel Ahamed, the director of the Mayotte Tourism and representatives of the Madagascar tourism had met Mr Stiekema of Costa Cruises to open discussions that have now paved the way for the formal signing of an agreement for cooperation.

Costa Cruises will be doubling the number of passengers cruising the the Indian Ocean and also increase their cruise ship season.

At the Paris meeting it was also agreed that for the arrival of the first Costa Cruises ship of this coming season, ministers of the region would all gather in Mauritius to welcome and board the ship together for a two-day cruise to Seychelles. The tourism ministers will be joined on board by the Costa Cruises executives and Mr Viroleau, where they will together work out a detailed plan of action for cooperation.

The Vanilla Islands representatives at the Top Resa tourism trade fair in Paris said that increasing the number of Port calls and passenger numbers was already a positive way forward, but more importantly it was the commitment to extend the length of stay by the Costa Cruises ships in the ports of the Vanilla Islands of the Indian Ocean.

 

 

 

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