High-profile attendance at ITB Berlin 2017 - Seychelles shines at world’s largest tourism fair |11 March 2017

Seychelles is once again showing a strong presence at ITB, the world’s largest tourism trade fair, taking place in the German capital from March 8 through to March 12, 2017.

A total of 50 representatives from 28 companies and institutions are on site at the Seychelles’ 180-square-metre stand no. 129 in hall 20 on the Berlin fairgrounds.

One of the highlights of this year’s fair was Air Seychelles introducing its new twice-weekly connection from Düsseldorf to Mahé, resuming their non-stop service to Germany at one of the major airports in the Western part of the country later this month.

Air Seychelles gave a press conference on the opening day of the fair and co-hosted – together with the Seychelles Tourism Board – the traditional cocktail reception at the stand on Thursday, which was attended by more than 120 invited guests, including German government officials.

The cocktail was also an opportunity to introduce the new Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, who was already familiar to many of the guests from his previous tourism activities.

He was joined in the Seychelles delegation by representatives of the Seychelles Tourism Board from all levels: Sherin Francis (CEO), Bernadette Willemin (director Europe), and Edith Hunzinger (regional manager for Germany, Switzerland, and Austria) as well as Natacha Servina (marketing executive).

Taleb Rifai, secretary general of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), also paid a visit to the stand, where he met Seychelles’ former tourism minister Alain St Ange, who resigned last December in order to pursue his candidacy as Mr Rifai’s successor in office.

A number of companies from the tourism trade sent their representatives to Berlin as well to share the Seychelles stand. They include destination management companies (DMCs) Creole Travel Services, Mason’s Travel, and 7° South, as well as VPM Yacht Charter. Hotels, resorts, and other accommodation options are represented by Alphonse Island Lodge, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Beachcomber, Berjaya Resorts Seychelles, Coco de Mer Hotel and Black Parrot Suites, Coral Strand Hotel, Denis Private Island, Dhevatara Beach Hotel, Le Duc de Praslin/Valmer Resort, Eden Bleu, Hilton Seychelles, The H Resort, Kempinski Seychelles Resort, Maia Luxury Resort/Paradise Sun Hotel, Le Méridien Fisherman’s Cove, North Island, Pure Seychelles Hotels, Raffles Praslin Seychelles, and Savoy Resort, plus the Seychelles Hotel and Tourism Association (SHTA).

With more than 10,000 exhibitors from nearly 190 countries and territories, ITB is by far the largest trade show of its kind. It is open 8 hours a day for five days. Access on the first three days is restricted to trade visitors (120,000 in 2016), while over the weekend, the show is also open to the general public (60,000 in 2016).