The first public-private Tourism Strategy Meeting to build Seychelles’ presence in China and India was chaired by Joel Morgan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport. Other ministers in attendance were Jean Paul Adam Minister for Finance, Trade and Blue Economy and Alain St.Ange, the Minister for Tourism and Culture.The meeting that was held at the Offices of the Tourism Board at ESPACE Building was attended by representatives from Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association (SHTA), Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Air Seychelles, Seychelles Civil and Aviation Authorities (SCCA), Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and tourism partners opened discussions on Seychelles’ tourism policies regarding China and discussed what Seychelles as a country wanted to achieve from the Chinese market and the numbers of Chinese visitor’s Seychelles was targeting.Private sector representatives felt it was fundamental that these points are tabled and a common consensus reached, in a bid to harmonise and for Seychelles to build a cohesive approach for its presence on the Chinese market.Seychelles, which has long been dependent on its major source market in Europe, bringing 66 % of business to the country, is more than ever convinced it needs to diversify and remain robust to withstand politico-economic shocks from its European market.China brought 13 thousand visitors to Seychelles in 2014. Today China’s estimated population is over 1.3 billion. The Tourism Strategy meeting achieved consensus that Seychelles does not need a huge number of Chinese visitors, but enough traffic to fill its flights and the 11 thousand beds in the country.Representatives of the Tourism Strategy meeting also agreed the time had come for Seychelles to move away from the policy of working to attract Chinese Chartered flights but to instead prepare to launch direct non-stop regular weekly flights and work across the board with Chinese Tour Operators (TO’s) selling the destinations and the region. It was highlighted with one weekly regular flight; Seychelles can bring 10 thousand Chinese visitors annually.Closing the Chinese market chapter, Air Seychelles announced it strategy to launch its winter schedule flights to China during the course of the year.On the Indian market, representatives of the Tourism Strategy meeting agreed Seychelles should lure more Indian holiday makers to its shores and increase the visitor’s arrival figures two fold on this market.Seychelles is receiving about 6 thousand travellers annually from India and this despite the four direct weekly flights.One major point that came out in the discussions on the Indian market is the need to raise Seychelles’ visibility on the market at the same time as the current applicable airfare being offered by Air Seychelles on this market is reviewed.It was agreed the Indian strategy should target honeymooners, which represent 90 % of the market segment for Seychelles.Seychelles said members of Tourism Strategic Meeting should also define a key message which will drive marketing of the destination in India.The Tourism Strategic meeting was a recommendation by Vice President Danny Faure at multi-sectoral meeting held Friday July 3rd.
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Monday, July 13, 2015
First public-private Tourism Strategy Meeting defines mechanism to build Seychelles presence in China and India
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17 comments:
This meeting was a very critical meeting for Seychelles.
The destination was just about to jump into a one tour operator - charter, price crashing future.
Thank goodness it has been diverted and sideline as an option.
The alternative now is a direct flight by Air Seychelles to Beijing, then Shanghai in November.
Air Seychelles announced it will acquire another airbus A-330.
If there was dialogue between Private and Public Sector in the past, we would avoid many problems.
We should learn from our mistakes for the sake of our children.
Sesel Pou Seselwa!
Christopher Gill
Hariy caterpillar...is no endemic ,,they enter our country via import of vegetable ,fruits by big five star hotels...but also lack of control at custom,,,of illegal import that is in bags of exparts returning from Inda and otheg Aisan countries who carry food stuff etc....in to Seychelles without Pl control as always.....just like many illness ,or new illness.....imported from countires like Indai ,,,,where amny illness redicated long in se<chelles re surface because of lack of health control of expats and import.
This is how zhings should normally work,if we,want to have good policiesand sstrategyin pplacenamely having all those involve in the process in order to have the best possible action.I must say,Mr St Ange has been the first government official,if not the only,whi has allows listen to his partners,and allows consult verybody concern before taking final dicision.s.By doing so,Mr St Ange is the only minister who can pruodly proclaim ,,“I policies and strategies work“Proof,Arrivals will this years break all priviuos records.
in
Let us not get too excited. Tourism increase is doing just ok ! We are not breaking any records with a mere 15% increase. Remember 15% of 220,000 = 33,000
10% of 330,000 = 33,000
My point is we are 30 years late with our tourism development. Mauritius & Maldives started after us and they receive over 1 million tourists per year. If we get our house in order by way of affordable fares from all 4 corners of the world - we will see a marked increase in excess of 30% per year instead of the 10% to 15% increase. We already have the bed capacity. So all we need are excellent air fares to compete with Mauritius & Maldives. What gets to me is a passenger travelling from Europe on an Air Seychelles flight, transmitting through our Mahe airport pays less than a fare to Seychelles. The same can be said with Emirates fares to Mauritius is some 20% cheaper than that of Seychelles....yet Mauritius is another 2 hours flying time away. Why is Seychelles Tourism Industry subsidising Emirates, Air Seychelles & Etihad. Let Ahmed start his airline and let the fun begin. As it is Ton Pat is now on the loose....Let our tourism industry loose as well........
YOu right!i was making allusion to previous figure .while as you put it Maldives and Maurtius are far infront ,which means lot more need to do....Potential we have...and many other fields such as OFFSEASON,or the development of our Outter Islands so that these ilands can cater tourists as Maldvies do,,,,Remeber Maldives ha only Coral islands,and these isalands generate Maldives high arrivals...one could imageine if we develop these Outter islands in Maldvies stlye(similar not necessary with the same architecture,,or building bungalows ALL of pilalrs in the waters...but for instance,making each island developed unique in regards to architecture,style ,thus each island different in archituctural style from each other....).
Yes ,Airsey fares is still too high when compare to other Airlines. for instant;CONDRO which is flghting roughly the same distance,time from frnakfurt as Airsey from Paris.....maybe Airsey have to do so,in order to compensate the lost accruded by providing Emirates ,Etihad subsidies...and frankly ,it is not the Seychelles government who should subsidize Foreign Airline Pl...what is that for a crook practice.....
And be the way ,Airsey has a codeshare deal with ETIAHD not Emirates ..so pl why subsidizing Emirates with Seychellois tax money as if it is a National Airline?These Arabs have enough money to in fact pay all their dues.fees ,duty Pl......TSUch practice must stop Morgan.....
the illegal Susidizing of Emirates by Seychelles government ,,,,burden Airsey ,that is it must priced high fare compare to Emirates to pay Emirates non paid Susidizes ,while Emirate which is is subsidize by Pl ,can offer lower price,,,which in fact affect Airsey productivity.....You subisize Enriate pl so that it can offer low far, while Airsey must charge higher fee to pay for Money use to Subsidize MEirates........that is crook Pl.....
Arrivals are up 16 percent.
But yield is -12 percent.
No time to clap.
Christopher Gill
You right ,that still bad figures compare to Maldives, Mauritius .Lots need to be done.
We need to focus on core yield markets that we traditionally have name recognition.
Given our limited budget, we cannot spread that too thin across the globe.
Marketing expenditure has to be correlated with direct flight, connections from main European hubs.
This is most cost effective for Seychelles.
We need to limit funds into South America.
We need to find better ways to market using the Internet, not relying on Trade Fairs overly.
The China card is a great option. It needs to be developed with cooperation of Air a Seychelles and the Trade.
While all the politicians are digging dirt on each other, remember this, in spite of all our nasty past, which it is, Seychellles must earn money everyday to feed our families.
We need to know what your plans are, since up to now, no political party seems to have a serious plan.
Sesel Pou Seselwa!
Christopher Gill
We have capacity to receive 500,000 tourists. This will involve tapping into the large stocks of bed nights available in months such as June to 15th July, November through to 15th December. We should have a plan to welcome 350,000 in 2016, then 400,000 in 2017, then 425,000 in 2018, then 470,000 in 2019 and finally 500,000 by 2020. This is what I cal 2020 vision. It will take some hard balls to deliver this tall order. This is when we can start clapping ur hands. Seychelles visibility has increased a lot over the past 5 years. We now need affordable air fares to offer our inbound tourists !
Agreed.
Sesel Pou Seselwa!
Christopher Gill
I thing the idea to concentrate on having a target amount only of Chinese visitors ,ditto to Indians tourists instead of trying to make it the panacea of our tourism industry as believed before by Pl,is more intelligent,and provide a balance in the diversification of our tourism industry.
It is also welcomed that finally we see more government offcials following into St Ange foot steps ,namely ,being physically present at important meetings ,to discuss,work together to achieve the best outcome possible, thus best plan for the industry.
2.23--you right,a well planned and strategic goal ,as you suggest,will be more apporpirate than having a a plan without real target....or to put it differently,a plan that is more like "let do this then we will see the end result...)putting target makes the object clearer and set a clear roadmap for all those involve in the process.
Every destination must have a comprehensive marketing Tourism inflow strategy.
Clearly, Seychelles must have a strategy and go beyond events promotions locally
This is the focus area needed to press forward and register high valuable arrivals, with higher yield.
SKYCHEF is searching for employees,,,and the company must organizing its own recruitment outside its main building ......We have public employment office but seems unable to deliver..
I think it is time aside the public employment Agency to allow for PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES.PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES FOTEN have direct contact with PRIVATE businesses(in this case.SKYCHEF would have probably used a private employment agency than do the recruitment aside its building itself)to find new employees/candidate to match these vacant jobs within a shorter and rapid time frame work.....
The other advantage of PRIVATE EM?PLOYMENT AGENCIES is that they offer apart from PERMANENT Jobs also TEMPORARY jobs ,,the later allows a firm that lets say,,must replace employees on holiday,becuase of illness,pregnancy with auxiliary in 24 hours...
PRivate EMployment agencies are more effective in getting job seekrs into a job than PUBLIC EMPLOYMNET Agency .not only because of the direct contact they usually enjoy with private companies but also because a PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY is a real ^BUSINESS that revenues depends on the amount of job seekers they put to work or into a job......the more job seekers they put into job the higher their revenues .hence that makes PRIVATE EMPLOYMNET AGENCIES more pro active in searching and putting job seekrs into a job...
The benefit for government would be that by having PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGNCIES...the government would collect TAXES;licence fee FROM THESE private employment agencies ..thus creating new jobs and bringing revenues to state..while often government or public employment agencies DO NOT BRING REVENUESto State but a financial durben..ofr all staffs salary depends on state therefore tax payers ,,there is no wealth creation ,unlike PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT agencies that need a LICECNE,would employ people, PAY taxes and help solve unemployment...
NOTE ALOS ..a PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY earn its money from Employers ,not applicants,,or state........it is a real business Pl...that will bring revenue to into State coffer..and will be much more effective in putting youths at work ........
Unlike Public EMployment Agencies .whose employees are state employees thus pocket a monthly salary regardness of their performance(which do not necessarily are por active to search for vacant jobs for the apllicants because their slary donot depend on performance) ,a PRIVATE Employemnt agency ,salary of its eomplyees or staffs dependent of performance ,on how amny job seekers were placed into a job therefore the motivation delviers by a private em'loyment agency to put job seekrs into a job is highly more effective and performance.
pL CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF PL FIREWNDSHIP WITH Qatar ,cUBA .....pL TELL US IT IS SEYCHELLOIS FRIENDSHIP....pL FRIEDNSHIP IS NOT SEYCHELLOIS FIRENDSHIP....SEYCHELLOIS NEVER DECIDED FREELY TO HAVE FIRENDS LIKE CUBAN ,aRAB OR INDAINS ..THESE ARE PL FIRENDS ..AND PL HAS NO RIGHT TO DECIDE AND CHOOSE THEIR OWN FIRENDS ,,NOT PL..
Mr St Ange ask Seychellois to come forward and give names of persons we Seychellois think had help Seychelles tourism industry to move forward---here are my list:
Mr MArc Davidson---ex-owner of Plantation club hotel,,,who was the guy who built Seychelles first ever five star hotel ,and Employed all Seychellois National in his establishment,which have provided through decades a stable job for Seychellois and activitely promoted Seychelles as a unique destination.
Mr Louis DÔffay,a patriot in the field,he has always promote the industry with heart and compassion,and has always believe in sustainable tourism development and its importance to Seychelles economy.
Mr Christopher Gill,an active,sincere ,forward looking voice in the industry,who has always made Seychellois interest(Seychellois first) as a priority and has always advocate for a sustainable,quality tourism industry in Seychelles,and has been the voice of the voiceless in the industry.
Mrs Jenny Pommeroy,---one of the rare Woman in the industry with a life long experience of the industry and whose establishment was amongst one of the best and known establishment On Praslin.She has been operating her hotel ,(before recently selling it)for decades with success and professionalism.
I would like to thank August 2, 2015 8.28 for his/her vote of confidence.
At 24 I was called arrogant by Rene because I was straight forward in my speech and promotion of Seychellois economic interests.
At 50 today, I will continue to say things as I see them and propose solutions as I always have.
I will dig deep, extend a hand where I can, promote dialogue to bridge the gap for we must if we care for our people and country.
Thank you.
Christopher Gill
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