Tourism Industry stakeholders to attend the important annual end of year Marketing Meeting in Seychelles

Tourism Industry stakeholders to attend the important annual end of year Marketing Meeting in Seychelles

aTP-  Arab tourism portal- As is done every year the Tourism Industry of Seychelles meet for the end of year Marketing Meeting.  This event starts preparations for a successful marketing action plan for the year 2016. With an increase in the visitors’ arrivals of 19% over 2014, the Tourism Board has said that it is the time to take a deep breath and analyse what efforts have been expended in order for Seychelles to move into 2016 running to continue to deliver for its tourism industry  and to analyze what more needs to be done. 

This is the rational behind the annual marketing meeting that will be held by the Seychelles Tourism Board and its overseas offices and members of the private sector trade on the 15th of December 2015 at the Kempinski Resort. "The aim of the meeting is to engage with enthusiasm the participation of all serious stakeholders to ensure Seychelles tourism continues to flourish. Every year we sit at this time of the year with our private sector partners to pan out the Seychelles Tourism Board’s marketing strategy. This year is no exception with our spirit of consultation in what we have as public/private sector partnership" said Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Tourism Board.

The official opening ceremony will this year see the presence of Minister Alain St.Ange, the Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture and Minister Jean Paul Adam, the Minister for Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy as well as General Managers and Owners of  local Resorts, Hotels, Guest Houses and Self Catering Establishments.  Airline Managers will also be present it has been confirmed. After the welcome address by Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Tourism Board Minister Alain St.Ange will deliver his annual address and set the ball rolling for the Seychelles Tourism Board to present the local trade a comprehensive overview of the various successes and challenges of Seychelles’ tourism over the course of the year and the marketing objectives and strategies for the year 2016. 

For this year’s marketing meeting, the Seychelles Tourism Board also aims of inviting  small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) which may wish to seize the opportunity to display their local products. 

This exercise will open the door for "Made in Seychelles"products as manufacturers and the local business community will have the chance to meet with general managers of Resorts, Hotels, Guest Houses and Self Catering Establishments attending the meeting to showcase their products and in so doing secure potential business opportunities.

The involvement of all the stakeholders at this annual end of year Marketing Meeting will ensure that there is indeed a strong partnership and huge correlation between the Seychelles Tourism Board and other ministries. "We are always working to bring everyone together for the continued wellbeing of our tourism industry" said Minister Alain St.Ange who went on to say that consolidating the relationships among all stakeholders involved in creating and integrating value-added products and offer local products to tourists while maintaining market position relative to competitors. "We strongly believe that there is much to be achieved here and this can be one of the ways of us working together for the benefit of our country" Minister St.Ange said.

The KOKO Net proposal to make Seychelles a Free WIFI Nation will also be seen at this coming Marketing Meeting on the 15 December.

"The Ministry of Tourism and Culture and its Tourism Board has been in constant dialogue with the tourism relocated trade. We have conducted door-to-door visits of tourism establishments and continue with this exercise as this ensures we remain connected with our front line team, and also this gives us real feedback from the trade.

This approach was essential for the Ministry and the Government because too often some for personal reasons would try to paint the a gloomy picture when it was clear that the situation was indeed better that it had been. We have seen the Inter-Ministerial Meeting with the Tourism Trade that was chaired by the Vice President and this ensured open and frank dialogue.

The December Marketing Meeting is the continuation of this consultative process which is why we are encouraging the tourism trade to be present for the opening ceremony and be part of the industry dialogue process" said Minister St.Ange