‘Seychelles Discovered’roadshow hits the road in UK

‘Seychelles Discovered’roadshow hits the road in UK

 
ATP-  arab tourism portal- A delegation of airlines, hoteliers and their representatives from the Seychelles and UK, together with the Seychelles Tourist Office in London, last week embarked on a series of marketing events through the bi-annual Seychelles Roadshow in the United Kingdom.

 
This was an opportune moment to talk about and train the UK travel agents about the destination and its various products and services.

 
Three cities were covered in this 13th edition – St Albans, Southampton and Exeter. The Seychelles Tourist Office was represented by Tinaz Wadia and Eloise Vidot – and participating airlines Etihad (Monica Allan, Kofi Mable, Nisheen Daya) and Air Seychelles (Christine Ozouf). Participating hotels were Banyan Tree Seychelles (Angelika Gerhold), Four Seasons (Samantha Leeding), Hilton Hotels and Resorts & Double Tree by Hilton (Devi Pentamah), Eden Bleu (Amanda Lang), Savoy Seychelles Resort and Spa (Caroline Fotherby & Lorna Allen), Coco De Mer & Black Parrot Suites (Ash Behari), Denis Island, Indian Ocean Lodge and Carana Beach (Ravinia Larue), Enchanted Island (Gill Shannon & Michelle Pollock.
 

The Seychelles Tourist Office manager for UK and Ireland, Ms Wadia, said what makes these events so popular is the fact that the destination is “taken directly to the agents” and that gauging from the very positive turnout of travel agents and tour operators alike, it shows that these kind of events remain popular.
 

“The agents and tour operators are very enthusiastic and keen to learn more about our beautiful islands, its people, traditions and products, and they in turn feel better equipped with information which assist then in converting enquiries into sales,” she explained.

 
The roadshow also remains extremely popular amongst the participating partners as this year, there was a wait-list of companies wanting to participate and due to only a maximum number of available slots, not all the applications could be accommodated. This goes to show that the information being given out is highly sought after by the agents in order to better equip them to sell and recommend the destination to their clients.
 

As per tradition, the evenings commenced with a general meet-and-greet cocktail and canapés, followed by various presentations on large electronic screens. There was a short break thereafter whereby starters were served and hosting participants could interact with the agents at their table. Thereafter, a further series of presentations took place, another break for dinner, and the last series of presentations and various prize draws took place prior to desserts being served. A couple of agents were lucky in winning fabulous stays in the Seychelles provided by the participating hoteliers, allowing them the opportunity of seeing and experiencing the islands first hand.

 
Miss Wadia said these events are extremely popular for the agents and tour operators alike, providing them with the opportunity to learn about the destination in an informal setting and have first-hand information from the various suppliers.  

 
“It has also been important to visit some cities that have not been covered previously, providing the agents far and wide with the opportunity to attend the Seychelles events for the first time. These roadshows could not be realised without the valued support of our partners,” she said.