STB opens office in Reunion |08 October 2016

The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) has announced that it will be opening an office on the island of Reunion.

The announcement was made this week during a press conference with representatives of the various media houses there.

The new office will be based at the Seychelles Honorary Consul offices in Saint Denis and the STB is represented in Reunion by its senior marketing executive Bernadette Honore.

Speaking to members of the press at the Akoya Hotel and Spa St. Gilles on October 4, the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St.Ange said the time is now right for the STB to open an office in Reunion and set a new way forward for the development of the market.

“Since March this year, STB has had a representative in Reunion. This has helped to open up new working partnerships with travel agents and tour operators there,” said Minister St Ange.

Commenting on the announcement, STB’s chief executive Sherin Francis said Reunion is an important tourism market for Seychelles as it targets more of the small-grown hotel establishments.

“It is a market that supports our small establishments as most visitors coming from Reunion island prefer such accommodation. Opening an office there is important as it will allow STB to work closer to the tour operators and travel agencies there. We have established a good bond with the press in Reunion, but we feel to help us with our marketing strategies, we need someone there to reinforce that connection we have with the tour operators and travel agencies,” Mrs Francis said.

She added that Reunion and Seychelles have so much in common especially in regards to the two islands’ cultures which have quite a few similarities.

Seychelles takes part in the Festival Liberté Métisse held in Reunion during the month of December while Reunion also brings a delegation to our islands for our Festival Kreol, hosted during the last week of October every year, she said.

This shows that we have good working relationships as well as cultural connections and we see this as a stepping stone for our tourism marketing strategies, Mrs Francis added.

Minister St Ange was in Reunion this week for the Seychelles Roadshow held from October 4-6 along with the director for Europe Bernadette Willemin, representatives of three destination marketing companies – Stephanie Ernesta from 7°South, Lucy Jean-Louis from Mason’s Travel, Eric Renard and Melissa Quatre from Creole Travel Services.

Also present were Fabrice Maingard representing Constance Hotels, Daniella Payet of Seychelles European Reservation and Nathalie Du Buisson from the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association.

He said Seychelles’ main amenities should continue to remain an added value for the Reunion market. He gave a thumbs-up to Air Austral for its ongoing marketing efforts for the Seychelles market.

“We would like to say thank you to Air Austral for its continued efforts by injecting so much added support to push forward the Seychelles destination. The yearly promotional offers and the revised rates have contributed to a win-win situation for both parties,” said Minister St Ange.

Minister St Ange used the press conference to urge the private sector trade to consolidate the market and grasp the opportunities on the Reunion market to push for more visitors from Reunion to Seychelles.

Mrs Willemin, who is also responsible for the Reunion market, said with STB’s presence on the market Seychelles has been able to consolidate the existing segment market and tap into a new segment: the incentive group which will help to bring more traffic to Seychelles.

Minister St Ange also took the opportunity of the press conference to unveil a new project for the upcoming Festival Kreol at the end of this month.

He added that the new initiative to bring families in Reunion with a Seychelles connection falls within the Ministry of Tourism and Culture’s plans to further develop the bilateral ties between Reunion and Seychelles.