Seychelles was voted the Indian Ocean’ s Leading Cruise Destination for the fourth consecutive year at the World Travel Awards in 2017. but other visitors from across the globe.
Besides air connectivity, cruise tourism is also booming; the current cruise ship season from October 2017 to April 2018 is expected to see some 42 port calls season with just under 50,000 visitors.
While both air and sea ports continue to see an increase in the number of visitors, work is being done to improve the infrastructure of both sets of facilities. There is a new domestic terminal being constructed at the national airport which will be ready by July 2018, while financing has been secured for the port extension project which will start in early 2019 and is projected to be completed by the end of 2020.
Embracing sports tourism
The current Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine, Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, is keen to set a new target for the coming years. The ultimate goal is to achieve 500,000 visitors and $ 700 million in tourism earnings by 2021, with a focus on high-end tourists to help attain this target.
Sports tourism is one area being tapped into. In 2018 already, the tiny Seychelles archipelago is hosting four sporting events which will undoubtedly attract sports enthusiasts and their families from across the world.
The 11th edition of the Seychelles Eco-Friendly Marathon was held on 25th February, 2018. It is always held on the last Sunday of February. This year, it attracted even more participants than previous years. This Marathon provides a unique opportunity for marathon runners across the globe to not only savour the experience of running through some
SPECIAL REPORT
of the most amazing countrysides on Earth, but also enjoy a unique for healthy living through the recalibration of mind, body, and soul in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
Preparations are now well underway for Seychelles to host the third series of the FINA Open Water World Cup competition, which is scheduled to take place on May 20th at the Beau Vallon Beach – one of the most popular tourist areas on the main island Mahe.
Seychelles, which is hosting the series for the first time this year, has already signed a contract to host the event annually for four years, aiming to attract not only swimmers
Seychelles was voted the Indian Ocean’ s Leading Cruise Destination for the fourth consecutive year at the World Travel Awards in 2017. but other visitors from across the globe.
A sailing competition – the Seychelles Regatta – is also back this year after a five-year break. The fourth edition of the sailing competition will also be seeing the participation of professional international skippers who will compete alongside local skippers.
For the first time this year, Seychelles will also be hosting a group of professional golf players on the European Senior Tour for a golf tournament, directly after the annual MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius.
The sky’ s the limit
It is a known fact that the tourism industry is a competitive industry. STB has been working to increase Seychelles’ visibility on various social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
For the third consecutive year, STB was named the Indian Ocean’ s Leading Tourist Board, while Seychelles was voted the Indian Ocean’ s Leading Cruise Destination for the fourth consecutive year at the World Travel Awards in 2017.
The national airline, port authority, and several hotels were also proud winners at the same award ceremony. Seychelles also scooped the Favourite Beach / Island Destination accolade at the Condé Nast Traveller Readers ' Choice Awards 2017.
Mindful of the fact that a lot of money is being invested in tourism, the industry that remains the bread and butter of most of the country’ s population, is aware that they have to play their part to protect and preserve the image of Seychelles.
While the marketing strategies are key, it is the tourists themselves who are the greatest ambassadors of the tourism industry. Happy and satisfied visitors will undoubtedly have good stories to share with families and friends. •
Compiled by Seychelles Tourism Board in Pretoria, South Africa
42 • COMESA • 2018