SEYCHELLES: South African Road Show

Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and 15 trade partners will be heading to South Africa next week to market the destination and generate business for the destination’s product and services.

Destination management companies and travel agents 7 degree; Virtuoso onsite south, Beach Comber Tours South Africa, Thompsons Holidays South Africa, Seyunique South Africa, small and large hotels, Le Duc de Praslin, Avani Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa, Eden Bleu, Six Senses (Zil Pasyon), Hotels Resorts, Constance Hotels and Resorts, cruise operators Variety Cruises, and the national airline Air Seychelles have already signed in their participation fees for the roadshow.

Among the new faces, taking part in this year’s Seychelles Tourism Board South Africa’s annual road show is a representative from the Seychelles Hospitality Tourism Association (SHTA), who will join with trade partners to market small grown Seychellois-owned properties.

The Seychelles Hospitality Tourism Association’s participation in the South African road show has been made possible through the Seychelles Tourism Board’s new mechanism to exempt the organization from paying trade fairs and road shows fees, in a bid to allow greater participation of small hotels in the international fairs and give visibility and value added to the country’s home grown properties.

The Seychelles Tourism Board Director for Africa and the Americas, David Germain, said the participation of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association is great news for the industry.

“We are very delighted that they have decided to take part, as there is a great demand for a great variety of accommodation options from consumers and trade in Seychelles,” Mr. Germain said.

The South African annual road show is one of Seychelles’ most popular marketing activities.

From July 21-23, trade partners will cross the South African main cities of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape to meet and network with over 300 travel agents.

The objective is to build Seychelles’ presence in South Africa and have more travel trade professionals in South Africa selling the destination.

In 2014, the annual road show attracted 302 South African agents.

Mr. Germain said the upcoming South African road show will keep its promises of attracting the same number of agents, as South Africa has the potential for all segments in Seychelles, from high end to the affordable products.

“This road show is the perfect platform to showcase our products to the South African travel trade. Each year, the event gets bigger and bigger and helps greatly towards continued awareness of the destination,” said Mr. Germain.