Seychelles brainstorms on the way forward for the Italian market

Seychelles brainstorms on the way forward for the Italian market
 

ATP-  arab tourism portal- Last year the Seychelles Tourism Board invited a number of French Tour Operators to meet with the government and the Seychelles Tourism Trade partners. That meeting that was attended by Minister Joel Morgan (Transport) Pierre Laporte (Finance) and Alain St.Ange (Tourism) highlighted to the Seychelles authorities and to the local private sector trade the challenges being faced by the French Tour Operators. This meeting helped reinvigorate the French Tourism Market.

Today the French market for Seychelles is on a rebound and the increased tourists arrival numbers from France has given Air Seychelles the confidence to start three direct non-stop weekly flights to Paris Minister Joel Morgan said.    

Now a group of top tour operators from Italy were in Seychelles this week for a brainstorming session with the local trade partners interested in Italy as a tourism source market to find a way forward on how to reverse the negative trend on the Italian market.

The brainstorming session took place at the Avani Seychelles Barbarons Resort and Spa and was attended by the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St.Ange, chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board Sherin Naiken and that of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority Gilbert Faure.

Others included the Seychelles Tourism Board’s director for Europe Bernadette Willemin and manager of its office in Italy Monette Rose, chairman of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association Freddy Karkaria, heads of three airlines, members of the tourism trade and representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Trade and Blue Economy.

Italy remains as one of Seychelles’ main core market and this despite the market share is going down by minus 4%.

Ranking forth behind China, an average 2, 948 Italian travellers visited Seychelles from January to March 8 this year compared to 2,549 during the same period in 2014.

The Seychelles Tourism Board sees the 16% progression on the Italian market as a positive sign and the losing of share as a wake-up call to tackle the negative trend and redress the positioning of one of Seychelles’ leading core markets.

In his address Minister St.Ange said it is vital for Seychelles to know why the Italian market suffered a year ago and what has changed for it to be able to catch up this year.

“We are aware of the difficulties being faced, but it is important in the consolidation of our tourism industry that every partner and every Seychellois understand the reasons as to why one of our key source markets suffered,” Minister St.Ange said.

“Italy forms part of the European market which remains the number one for Seychelles. We need diversification for us to be better able to face the future, but we must remain realistic that Europe is where we have invested a fortune ever since we opened our International Airport in 1971, and Europe will remain the key source market for our islands for years to come.”

Minister St.Ange said the meeting with this group of Italian Tour Operators is being held at an opportune time now that Air Seychelles has announced that the airline will have direct non-stop flights to Paris, France starting as from July.

"The three-weekly flights is a big commitment for a small airline like Air Seychelles and together we need to work together to make it happen" the Minister added.

“It is something that the trade partners, the Seychelles Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture have been hoping for,” Minister Alain St.Ange said.

Davide Bomben, the marketing manager of Il Diamante in Turin said Italians are aware our islands have beautiful beaches but the challenge is to boost the Seychelles’ branding image in Italy.

He added that air connectivity between Seychelles and Italy is also important.

“Air Seychelles’ announcement of flying nonstop to Paris is great news and an amazing solution to fly our clients to Seychelles,’’ Mr Bomben said.

Monette Rose said the Italian cities of Milan and Turin are much closer to France and the three weekly nonstop flights to Paris will help solve the problem of air connectivity.

She said in regards to the Seychelles’ branding image in Italy, consumer based campaigns are on-going in Italy to raise the islands’ visibility.

Mrs Rose is also in agreement that much work is still needed to be done to make Seychelles much more visible in Italy.

On her part, Miss Naiken said Italy is a market with great potential and with these non-stop direct flights to Paris, this will boost up the work being done to reverse the negative trend.