Category Archives: Seychelles

The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) is saddened by Air Seychelles decision to adjust its European network affecting Germany and France, as it signifies reduced seat capacity to cater for future growth, but remains confident that the performance of the main tourism markets will be maintained in 2017.

The national airline announced on Monday that it will suspend its twice-weekly flights to Dsseldorf from September 10 and reduce its Paris operation from four to thrice-weekly flights from September 12.

Explaining the commercial decisions, the Chief Executive of Air Seychelles Roy Kinnear said an in-depth review of the Dsseldorf route, which started in March this year had showed that the service is unsustainable, and highlighted weakened demand for air travel out of France when it comes to the Paris flight.

In a statement, Air Seychelles Chairman Jean Weeling-Lee said: Due to year on year increase of cost of fuel, an extremely competitive aviation market in Europe, and the high number of significant airlines already serving Seychelles though their connecting hubs, it unfortunately results in Air Seychelles being forced to consolidate these services.

Commenting on the decisions on Wednesday, the STB Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis, said she is indeed saddened, as the extra capacity offered by Air Seychelles on the Dsseldorf flights for example, would have assisted the market in the medium to long term as the seats capacity filled up. The upcoming cancellation of the Dsseldorf flights also signifies a loss of marketing support for STBs promotional efforts on the German market.

The airline would have also been key during peak holiday periods where we are in competition with the other destinations for seats on airlines that go through the connecting hubs, she added.

Nevertheless, Mrs. Francis said the Seychelles Tourism Board will continue working with other airlines already serving the destination, to maintain and increase visitor arrivals from these European markets.

STBs role is to promote the destination and Air Seychelles is our preferred airline when it comes to marketing the destination points, where they are actually flying to. But we also make it a point to work with all other airlines serving the destination, given our priority is to ensure that we are able to increase visitor arrivals from our major markets, said Mrs. Francis.

Its always good to have direct flights, especially by your own national airline as this means the Seychelles experience starts the minute the client gets onboard, but unfortunately the [Dsseldorf] flight had to be stopped and STB will have no choice but to work with other airlines to maintain our performance on the German market, she added.

Highlighting the importance of the German market, Air Seychelles CEO, Mr. Kinnear has already said that the airline will continue to work with its codeshare partners to offer one-stop connections via Paris with Air France and via Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways.

Aside of several international airlines offering connections for German visitors from the main hubs, the Seychelles route is also served by German leisure airline, Condor, which operates two direct weekly flights to the island nation.

Mrs. Francis remarked that STB will continue with its role of promoting the destination whether direct flights are available or not, and when it comes to France she added that STB will continue to support and market Air Seychelles thrice-weekly flights to Paris in September.

Its important that we work together to make it work and hopefully later on in their planning they can go back to four flights when the market starts to grow again. But for now, its important that we support the three Air Seychelles flights as it still connects Seychelles to Paris and the rest of Europe, said Mrs. Francis.

Statistics show that 23,963 French visitors have disembarked in Seychelles up to July 30th, representing a 3 percent decrease so far this year compared to the same period in 2016.

In spite of recording a slight drop, which can be linked to several factors including the French elections earlier this year, France remains a significant market for Seychelles and the STB is pleased that the figures have been maintained at almost the same level as last year.

Now that the elections are over it is the moment for us to come up with strategies to stimulate demand and achieve growth on that market for next year, Mrs. Francis added.

Germany on the other hand has taken the number one spot since June, surpassing France, which has long been the main tourism market for Seychelles.

According to latest statistics available from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Germany has sent 27,078 visitors to the island nation up to July 30, representing a 33 percent increase over last years figures.

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Seychelles Tourism saddened as Air Seychelles adjusts European network, remains confident in maintaining visitor ... - eTurboNews

Seychelles Creole cuisine, which combines flavors from French, English, African, Indian, and Chinese cooking, is one of the island nations unique factors.

Creole food is one of the aspects that tourism operators, especially hotels and restaurants, strive to promote among visitors to Seychelles.

Two restaurants in Seychelles have received accolades at the World Luxury Restaurant Awards, which inspires excellence and ignites healthy competition in the luxury restaurant industry.

The second edition of the World Luxury Restaurant Awards ceremony was held on July 22, where winners were presented with their prizes at the JW Marriott Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Constance Ephelias signature restaurant Cyann was crowned the Seychelles Luxury Resort Restaurant, while Carana Beach Hotels Lorizon Restaurant received the award for the Seychelles restaurant providing the Best Ambience or Romantic Atmosphere.

The Constance Ephelia resort is located at Port Launay on the western coast of Mah. Its Cyann Restaurant, which offers a beautiful view over the Port Launay marine park, is open for both lunch and dinner. Guests can expect to experience the precision of French culinary techniques combined with local and Asian influences. The restaurant is known for its sushi and selection of signature dishes.

Commenting on the accolade, Constance Ephelias General Manager, Kai Hoffmeister said: I am delighted that our team received this award, because it recognizes all the hard work and effort it has put into keeping our luxury hospitality standards to a higher level.

Lorizon restaurant was nominated in the Best Ambiance/Romantic Atmosphere category after representatives of the World Luxury Restaurant Awards visited the restaurant in February this year.

Lorizon is the Creole word for horizon as the restaurant provides guests with a dining experience that offers a sweeping view of the ocean, while they savor what the owners describe as their innovative cuisine using products sourced from the Denis Island farm.

Carana Beach hotels Director Alan Mason said: Were so excited for our team to be awarded with recognition of this caliber. Its one that recognizes how the entire Carana Beach concept has come together, from the idea stage right through to the execution.

The World Luxury Restaurant Awards made its debut in 2016. Restaurants from across the globe are nominated based on three main criteria: interior design, the quality and presentation of the cuisine, and a reputation for excellent service and positive reviews.

According to the World Luxury Restaurant Awards, nominations are done by guests, food critics, bloggers and other relevant experts. The restaurants may also nominate themselves.

The 2017 nominees were competing in 81 different categories.

The final outcome is based on votes received per category and awards are presented on a country, continent and global basis.

In 2016, AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort and Spas Tamarind Restaurant was crowned the Seychelles best in Thai cuisine.

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Seychelles restaurants win accolades at World Luxury Restaurant Awards - eTurboNews

Seychelles was represented at the Travel + Leisures 2017 Worlds Best Awards ceremony held in New York City last Wednesday.

Some 200 guests attended the event hosted by Travel + Leisures Publisher, Mr. Joseph Messer, and Editor in Chief, Mr. Nathan Lump.

The ceremony saw the presentation of accolades to top hotels, islands, cities, airlines, cruise lines, spas, among others, as voted by readers of the New York-based travel magazine.

Readers of Travel + Leisure are given the opportunity to rate their travel experiences around the globe on an annual basis.

The Seychelles Tourism Boards Regional Director for Africa and the Americas, Mr. David Germain was presented with the award designating Seychelles as the best island in Africa and the Middle East.

Its the second year in a row that Seychelles is rated in the top spot in this category by Travel + Leisure.

Mr. Germain said: The Award is confirmation that our beautiful islands is becoming more and more popular in North America, topping the list of the most desirable holiday destinations worldwide.

Visitor arrivals from the Americas to the Seychelles increased by 69 percent from January to June.

Mr. Germain remarked that US consumers choose to visit Africa because of the wildlife, history, geography and people, hence Seychelles is in a unique position to attract visitors from the US thanks to its proximity to Africa.

Our mission is to promote this message, to a cross-section of US audiences: consumers with a passion for international travel and the travel suppliers who serve them, said Mr. Germain.

Opportunities to increase arrivals from the North American market lies in the Seychelles Tourism Boards ability to participate in exhibitions and trade shows in North America. Seychelles needs to be consistently present in the marketplace, in order to be included in travel packages with other destinations in Africa & the Middle East.

As part of efforts to improve connection with North Americas travel trade, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) recently joined the United States Tour Operator Association, USTOA.

The STB Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis, has also highlighted the intention to seek further collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines in the near future, to support twin-center holiday packages targeting specifically the US market.

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Best island in Africa and the Middle East: Seychelles receives accolade - eTurboNews

Air Seychelles Airbus A330-200

Rob Finlayson

Air Seychelles will adjust its European route network, the Indian Ocean Mah Island-based airline said July 30, with plans to suspend its 2X-weekly Mah-Dusseldorf route from September 10. Additionally, Air Seychelles Mah-Paris Charles de Gaulle operation will be reduced from four to 3X-weekly flights from September 12.

We have made the difficult decision to suspend flying to Dusseldorf after an in-depth review of the route showed that the service is unsustainable, Air Seychelles CEO Roy Kinnear said.

The carrier launched the Dusseldorf route recently on March 30 and upgraded the Paris CDG route from three to 4X-weekly flights on March 28, 2017.

Due to year on year increase of cost of fuel, an extremely competitive aviation market in Europe, and the high number of significant airlines already serving Seychelles though their connecting hubs, it unfortunately results in Air Seychelles being forced to consolidate these services, Air Seychelles chairman Jean Weeling said.

In addition, the volume of connecting traffic from our partner airlines over Dusseldorf [i.e. airberlin] has not lived up to expectations, making it harder to sustain the necessary passenger loads to meet our commercial objectives, Kinnear said.

Kinnear cited weakened demand for air travel out of France as the carrier enters the off-peak season in September as the reasoning behind the reduction in Paris frequencies.

Air Seychelles operate Airbus A330-200s on its European routes, featuring a two cabin configuration with 18 business and 236 seats.

Etihad Airways acquired a 40% stake in Air Seychelles in 2012.

Kurt Hofmann, hofmann.aviation@netway.at

Link:

Air Seychelles reduces European network - ATWOnline

Air Seychelles is to axe its Dusseldorf route after six months of serving the German destination.

The African carrier says the flights will end on 10 September. Additionally, the frequency of Air Seychelles' Paris flights will be reduced from four per week to three as of 12 September.

Chief executive Roy Kinnear states that the airline made the "difficult decision" to suspend flights to Dusseldorf after "an in-depth review of the route showed that the service is unsustainable".

He adds: "Given the high number of airlines operating or offering connectivity out of Germany, the seasonal nature of the route where peak travel periods are outweighed by low demand during the off-peak season, the extremely competitive levels of fares and existing fuel prices, it is not viable for us to continue serving the market at this point in time."

The Etihad equity partner carrier began twice-weekly services to Dusseldorf on 30 March.

FlightGlobal schedules data shows no other carrier operating on the route.

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Air Seychelles to end Dusseldorf service - Flightglobal

In an overcrowded world that is becoming more polluted by the day, the Seychelles is fast gaining recognition for the integrity of its unique ecosystems, and for the vast potential of its tourism options. There are numerous reasons for this awakening of interest, placing it head and shoulders above other island destinations. In fact, the Seychelles remains one of the purest, most environmentally intact destinations on Earth, offering a great diversity of experiences and accepting a mere 160,000 visitors a year. Now thats what we call exclusive!

Seychelles, in a nutshell Since the beginning of time, when the Seychelles 115 granite and coral islands became scattered over a secluded corner of the Indian Ocean, they have remained sanctuaries for some of the rarest species of flora and fauna on Earth. Each isle possesses its own particular geography and character, from untouched forests and bird sanctuaries to private resorts and hideaways. Never before have you been more spoiled for choice of when it comes to unspoiled island venues.Out of all of the Seychelles islands, currently only 16 have hotels, several of which offer the most luxurious amenities, and all of which possess their own natural charm. They offer everything from the opulence of world-famous five-star resorts, to the picturesque charms of affordable smaller hotels, Creole guest houses, and self-catering lodgings. The islands of Bird and Denis, located to the north of Mah, Frgate to the east, and Desroches and Alphonse to the south, each offer diverse and unforgettable island experiences. Travel to the islands of the far south and be rewarded with the heart-stopping beauty of Cosmoledo, Farquhar and the jewel in the Seychelles crown, Aldabra, which boasts a magnificent lagoon and is teeming with wildlife. An efficient network of inter-island boat, plane and helicopter transfers will accommodate almost any itinerary, affording you the opportunity to explore and discover the unique features of each island.

Why visit the Seychelles... With so many islands scattered across the Indian Ocean between four and 10 degrees south of the Equator, it is little wonder that another of the Seychelles biggest draws is the impressive diving opportunities it offers for experienced and novice divers alike. Myriad dive sites promise a diverse and vibrant marine extravaganza. This living aquarium enjoys comfortable year-round temperatures of between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius and lies outside the cyclone belt. Colourful reef fish, octopuses, lobsters and turtles make their home in the shallows surrounding the inner islands.

Experience nature at its most beautiful More adventurous dives offshore include the Ennerdale wreck, and rocks that are a playground for stingrays. Swim with whale sharks, the gentle giants of the sea that are regular visitors to the Seychelles waters, or dive off the spectacular coral walls of the outer islands. The accredited diving centres of most hotels and island resorts offer everything from one-day introductory courses to advanced international diving instructor certificates.

If youre looking to escape, you cant get much further away from the crowds and bustle of city life.

INFO: To learn more about the Seychelles, visit seychelles.travel

Climate The Seychelles is blessed with almost perfect year-round weather, with temperatures ranging between 24 and 32 Celsius. The year is divided between the northwest trade winds (from December to March), when it is generally hot and humid, and the southeast trade winds (from May to September), when it is drier and cooler. The period between the trades (March, April and May, and October and November), is normally calm and relatively windless.

Currency The local currency is the Seychelles Rupee (SCR), made up of 100 cents (Dhs1 = SCR3.68).

Language Seychelles has three official languages English, French and Creole.

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VIP Trip: Scintillating Seychelles - AhlanLive.com (blog)

The FINANCIAL -- Air Seychelles on July 31 announced that it will adjust its European route network.

As part of the adjustment, the airline will suspend its service to Dsseldorf from 10 September and reduce its Paris operation from four services to a three-per-week schedule from 12 September, according toAir Seychelles.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said: We have made the difficult decision to suspend flying to Dsseldorf after an in-depth review of the route showed that the service is unsustainable.

Given the high number of airlines operating or offering connectivity out of Germany, the seasonal nature of the route where peak travel periods are outweighed by low demand during the off-peak season, the extremely competitive levels of fares and existing fuel prices, it is not viable for us to continue serving the market at this point in time.

In addition, the volume of connecting traffic from our partner airlines over Dsseldorf has not lived up to expectations, making it harder to sustain the necessary passenger loads to meet our commercial objectives.

Germany is an important tourism market for Seychelles and we will continue to work with our codeshare partners to offer excellent one-stop connections via Paris with Air France and via Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways.

Speaking about the upcoming change in weekly frequencies on the Paris service, Mr Kinnear said: As a result of the weakened demand for air travel out of France, we have also taken the commercial decision to reduce our Paris service from four to three flights per week.

While passenger numbers are strong during the summer months of July and August, the declining demand as we enter the off-peak season in September does not provide the required level of support for our fourth frequency going forward, which operates mid-week on Tuesdays/Wednesdays.

The route will continue to be operated with a two-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft, with flights operating on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays out of Seychelles and on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays out of Paris.

Jean Weeling Lee, Chairman of Air Seychelles, said: Due to year on year increase of cost of fuel, an extremely competitive aviation market in Europe, and the high number of significant airlines already serving Seychelles though their connecting hubs, it unfortunately results in Air Seychelles being forced to consolidate these services.

All guests who are affected by the service changes will be offered alternative travel arrangements with Air Seychelles.

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Air Seychelles to adjust its European network - The FINANCIAL

Outspoken former Seychelles Minister of Tourism Alain St. Ange is now leading Saint Ange Consultancy and is concerned about his country slipping into a recession.

Of course, St.Ange is a member of the current opposition party in Seychelles, but many see him as the most successful minister of tourism the Indian Ocean Region had.

In his 8th edition of his Saint Ange Consultancy newsletter he starts his blog with a quote from Winston Churchill.

You cannot reach your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks.

Whether the masses realize it yet or not, Seychelles is facing challenging economic times. The latest commentary from key individuals about the state of our countrys economy is that we are, on the road to a recession.

In a recent edition of the Today Newspaper of Seychelles, the respected financial personality, Malika Jivan, took the trouble to address the situation on hand. She was quoted stating, our economy has been contracting. A slowdown in various sectors, no FDI, has had a domino effect on the economy. In text book terms, we are in a recession. Consumers cut spending, business cut payroll to cope with falling earnings. No Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in the country is a serious problem. Construction companies have confirmed the lack of big projects at the moment in Seychelles. At the same time, our cost of living has not been adjusted to improve the lives of those in the lower wage bracket. On the contrary, the cost of living is increasing. This year our Nations budget was approved by the National Assembly, after a series of drawn-out and exhaustive debates. For the first time in Seychelles political history, the majority of seats in the Assembly is held by members of the Opposition. The budget for 2017, therefore, has had the blessing of our elected representatives. We are now midyear and patiently waiting to see results. Malika Jivan proposes a series of measures, including a commitment to business, to stimulate FDIs, and for Government to be a facilitator of business. She notes that FOREX earning businesses and exports should be encouraged. One such FOREX earning business in Seychelles is undoubtedly tourism. Are we ensuring they have their needed staffing contingent? Are we running to ensure the marketing of the islands is receiving all the budgetary assistance required? The goose that lays the golden egg needs to be nurtured with care and attention. Negative political agendas must be left out of tourism if we want this vital industry to succeed. Last week we saluted the youth of Seychelles for being committed to saving Seychelles from itself. The positive feedback we have since obtained from the youth has been overwhelming. You are a force to be reckoned with and must continue to make your voices heard. We also need to acknowledge the efforts of those who have launched campaigns to collect accumulated rubbish from Grand Police and the beaches. You are not just talking, which is easy to do, but you are actively striving to protect and preserve our environment, and to keep our beaches as pristine as the holiday brochures say they are. The tourism trade fair season is just around the corner once again, and as visitor arrival figures show, Italy and France need special attention. The tourism industrys survival in Seychelles largely depends on air connectivity, but it also depends on our efforts in tapping into key markets. We may find ourselves witnessing sporadic cancellations of flights or discontinuation of air services if our target markets start fading away. The French Tourism Trade Fair will need a special push with private sector participation now that French elections are over and done with. The ball is very much in our court.

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St.Ange: Seychelles on the way to recession? - eTurboNews

The Tourism Department is pushing ahead with its objective to have tangible measurement of the economic impact of tourism that has long been the mainstay of the Seychelles economy.

With work already started to develop a Tourism Satellite Account for Seychelles, stakeholders in the industry have been provided with a better understanding of the statistical framework, the importance of such a tool, as well as the need for relevant and consistent statistics to be made available.

A two-day workshop was held on Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th July at the AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa.

The Statistics and Tourism Satellite Workshop saw the participation of statisticians and representatives from the Tourism Department, the Seychelles Tourism Board, National Bureau of Statistics, Immigration, Finance Ministry, Seychelles Ports Authority, Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority, The Central Bank of Seychelles and the Seychelles Licensing Authority.

The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) is a standard statistical framework developed the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the main tool for the economic measurement of tourism.

The need to develop such a tool for Seychelles, to determine the economic contribution of tourism, which interacts with a great variety of other economic activities, was first highlighted in 2008 but has since recorded slow progress.

In her opening remarks, the Principal Secretary welcomed all stakeholders back on the Tourism Satellite Account wagon.

Being in the inception phase we are calling on all partners to be fully engaged in the processAs a ministry we are aware of the resource constraints faced by many stakeholders and we are prepared to work towards a method that is less tedious and overbearing on your organizations, said Mrs. Lafortune.

The sessions were led by UNWTO attach & tourism statistician, Mr. David McEwen. The Tourism Ministry has sought technical expertise from the World Tourism body to identify the current gaps and propose a way forward in the development and implementation of a Tourism Satellite Account in Seychelles.

Mr. McEwen said: We do have gaps and issues in the tourism statistic and Im hoping that we put forward suggestions on how to deal with these issues realistically during the workshop.

Seychelles welcomes thousands of tourists from across the globe each year. At the recent mid-year tourism marketing meeting, the Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board Mrs. Sherin Francis said Seychelles looks set to welcome between 350 to 360 thousand visitors in 2017 if the current rate of 18 to 20 percent growth in visitor arrivals is maintained, adding that the country could thus easily reach the 500 thousand visitor mark over the next two years if the trend continues.

While the arrival figures are important, the collection of statistics on other aspects of tourism related activities are equally vital to help the country to develop the right policies.

Mrs. Lafortune said: We need to understand the supply and demand, how much money is coming into the country from tourists, and how much it is costing us. This will allow us to better acquire the added value hence the amount of profit the economy is making.

For her part, the Chief Executive of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Mrs. Laura Ah-time highlighted the need for the private sector businesses including hotels to also come onboard and be committed to the process to ensure the availability and reliability of data, which is a key component of the Tourism Satellite Account.

The NBS is the government agency responsible for collecting, compiling, analyzing and publishing statistical information.

Mrs. Ah-time said: Currently our organization is producing statistics from different demand and supply routes, but with the elaboration of the Tourism Satellite Account there will be an exponential demand for desegregated statistics, and the commitment from other stakeholders, particularly from the private sector which better allow the bureau to expand and elaborate on the gaps.

The Tourism Department is hoping the Tourism Satellite Account will be ready by next year provided all necessary tools are developed on time.

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Seychelles benefits from UNWTO expertise as work progresses to ... - eTurboNews

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