IFTM Top RESA in Paris – Seychelles delegation said they are set to claim back their fair share of the French market

IFTM Top RESA in Paris – Seychelles delegation said they are set to claim back their fair share of the French market

Almasalla,Gate Arab Tourism News-The Seychelles delegation for ILTM Top Resa Tourism Trade Fair in Paris is being led by Minister Alain St.Ange, the island s Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture and by Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Tourism Board. The delegation made up of public and private sector representatives left Seychelles on Sunday night.

Minister St.Ange said as he left the Seychelles that this year’s Top Resa is timely for the islands as it follows in the footsteps of the visit to the Seychelles by the Heads of three Tour operators selling the islands through their extensive programmes.

Visitor arrival figures from France suffered a reduction on a year to-date basis when compared to the same period in 2013 and the one day visit to the Seychelles by the Directors of Exotisme, Austral Lagon and TUI France was to give the opportunity ahead of Top Resa for the Government, the private sector trade and their tour operator partners to sit together and to discuss the challenges being faced by the destination. 

Three Seychelles Ministers, St.Ange for Tourism and Culture, Morgan for Internal Affairs and Transport and Laporte for Finance and Investments were also present at this Industry meeting where they shared the head table at the meeting with Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Tourism Board, Bernadette Willemin, the Director for Europe for the Seychelles Tourism Board, Freddy Karkaria, the Chairman of the SHTA (Seychelles Hospitality & Tourism Association, Marco Francis, the Chairman of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce & Industries, Justin Gosling of Air Seychelles and Denise Rassool of Emirates.

That meeting took place at the Conference Room at the Constance Ephelia Resort that was full with members of the island’s tourism private sector coming from Hotels and Resorts, Car Hire, Taxi and Restaurants.

 
Gilbert Gisneros, Director of Exotismes, Fabrice Bouillot, Director of TUI France, and Helion de Villeneuve, Director General Austral Lagoon all agreed at that meeting that unavailability of seats allocated to Tour operators on the Seychelles route was a real challenge.

Helion de Villeneuve said airlines should reconsider allocations of more seats for the Seychelles-France route, especially during high season. "Early in the year we had demand for Seychelles but no seats to the hubs en-route to Seychelles" Mr De Villeneuve said.
 

Top Resa in Paris is the perfect tourism trade fair for Seychelles to make its case and work to claim back its fair share of the French Tourism Market.