Seychelles’ tourism set to enter new phase in 2011 |22 January 2011
“I am the first person to say that the success we are witnessing is very much due to a team effort, and also to our determination to harness all available resources in our effort to grow visitor numbers – such as our Seychelles tourism ambassadors programme and Friends of the Press – Seychelles,” says Mr St Ange.
“We are a small country and so have to be very innovative in the way we operate. Each market is different, with its own challenges and opportunities, but in today’s world we have to diversify our customer base by penetrating new markets while we consolidate our position in traditional ones.”
He goes on to explain that the first task at hand when he accepted the job of marketing director at the Seychelles Tourism Board two years ago, and then when he became chief executive last year, was to prepare the groundwork for what would follow.
“At that point it was all about repositioning Seychelles in our markets and winning back the confidence of the trade,” he explains.
“But from here on, it’s more about creating visibility and raising the profile of Seychelles as a tourism destination.”
Seychelles is now set to embark on this new phase of creating visibility, and a number of campaigns have already achieved considerable success such as the advertising promotion in London using taxis painted in Seychelles’ livery and sporting enticing pictures of the islands.
Seychelles’ colours have also been used on the Formula 2 car of racing driver Andy Soucek, who enjoyed great success in 2010.
Meanwhile, marketing campaigns such as From the Big Five to the Best Five have helped create awareness on the African continent of the chance to enjoy a twin-hub vacation that links a Kenyan safari with an unforgettable experience of the Seychelles islands.
A similar campaign is now planned for Tanzania, with others sure to follow in the months ahead.
Seychelles’ new markets continue to perform strongly with, for example, more visitors coming from the United Arab Emirates than from Mauritius during 2010.
Last year, visitor arrivals from South Africa were up nearly 10% over 2009, a trend echoed by arrivals from Russia, China, India, Reunion and Kenya. Visitors from core markets in Europe were also up by 4.5%, showing significant growth across the board.
Good air links to further swell visitor numbers in the coming year will remain an important determining factor in the continuing success of the industry. Of key importance will be meticulous research, planning and, above all, correct identification of lucrative routes that can supply Seychelles with tourists.
The recent increase in Emirates’ flights to our shores, plus those of Qatar Airways and the announcement of increased flights by Air Seychelles to Italy and South Africa, as well as direct flights from France, mean the Seychelles islands are effectively “one stop from anywhere”.
This significantly strengthens its marketing capabilities by allowing visitors greater flexibility and more options when planning their trips.
“The ability to cater for increasing numbers of tourists in terms of sufficient bed stock is something we have to ensure”, says Mr St Ange. “But a number of new hotels such as Raffles, the Plantation Club and others are now coming online, which should significantly boost the number of available beds.”
Seychelles will continue to market itself in line with the core values of the Seychelles Brand – a new approach designed to capitalise on the unique collection of attributes that make the islands what they are and, in many cases, place us head and shoulders above the competition.
These include world-beating beaches; a wonderful climate; stunning natural beauty; friendly, welcoming people; a vibrant culture; a great diversity of islands, ethnicity and experiences; and a growing array of niche markets (diving, fishing, sailing, eco-holidays, golf, groups and incentives, weddings and honeymoons).
“The implementation of this new style of tourism aims at maximising our Creolité in our brand and core values which, by the way, suggests that where at all possible Seychellois tourism representation abroad should be by Seychellois themselves, as who is better qualified to perform that task than a national?” adds Mr St Ange.
2011 will also see the birth of the new Tourism Master Plan, conceived through intensive rounds of talks with representatives from all tourism sectors and designed to provide the guidance and properly integrated policies and guidelines necessary to assure consistency in tourism policy.
“Although Seychelles has been blessed in many regards with what it is able to offer to tourists, we must not become complacent but must ensure we do not price ourselves out of the market or allow issues of visitor safety and security to darken an otherwise bright horizon,” warns Mr St Ange.
“In an increasingly insecure world, Seychelles has remained a real oasis of safety and tranquillity, which our tourism needs to prosper, and we must do absolutely everything in our power to ensure that it remains that way.
“We must ‘earn’ our tourists by the way we treat them and by the positive experiences we provide and not fall into the trap of believing that the success of our tourism is in any way a ‘given’.”
As Seychelles’ tourism gears itself up to face the challenges of a new year, when increased visibility will be a chief goal, the first point on its agenda will be to secure the maximum publicity from the upcoming Carnaval International de Victoria, due to be held from March 4-6.
This carnival is set to attract a number of countries to take part, including the UK, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Korea, Japan, China and France, and a number of international dignitaries and other well-known personalities will also be here.
Media attention on the three-day spectacle looks set to place Seychelles at centre stage, something very much in line with its tourism strategy.
Scheduled to be held just before the carnival, the annual Eco-healing Marathon at the end of February is also set to drum up interest in the islands as the tourism industry looks to strengthen its international events sector while supporting the various activities of its tourism offices abroad and the ever-swelling ranks of its tourism ambassadors.
Across a broad spectrum, it looks like being a busy 2011 for Seychelles’ tourism.