The Seychelles Tourism Department hosted its highly anticipated annual Marketing Meeting for 2024 on Thursday, July 11, at L’Escale Resort Marina & Spa.
Designed to unite local trade partners and Destination Marketing representatives from both within the country and abroad, the Marketing Meeting serves as a crucial platform for discussing significant market developments and strategies for the upcoming months.
This year’s meeting adopted a market-focused approach, featuring primarily B2B sessions. These sessions provided local partners with a unique opportunity for in-depth, one-on-one discussions with Mrs. Bernadette Willemin, Director General for Destination Marketing, and the International Marketing team, which included market representatives from around the globe and staff based at the Botanical House Headquarters.
“In today’s fiercely competitive international tourism market, we are among the few highly sought-after destinations that face several challenges due to being a small country with limited resources. Therefore, we must continuously seek new ways to enhance our visibility as a tourist destination. This year, we have chosen to emphasise our presence in the local industry through a market-focused approach, ensuring greater partner engagement in the coming months,” said Mrs. Willemin.
Mrs. Willemin also praised local tourism sector partners for their tremendous support since the beginning of 2024, acknowledging that their efforts have significantly contributed to the sector’s strong performance despite the numerous challenges the industry faces.
The half-day event culminated in a strategic presentation by the Principal Secretary for Tourism, Mrs. Sherin Francis, who highlighted the importance of addressing the various challenges and factors impacting the market and its business operations.
“While discussing strategies and our current business positioning, we are mindful of the internal and external factors that both positively and negatively influence the market. We are actively seeking consultation and ideas from our local industry partners to navigate these challenges effectively,” Mrs. Francis stated.
The meeting concluded with a cocktail reception attended by the Minister for Tourism, Mr. Sylvestre Radegonde. Speaking at the event, he emphasised the importance of a unified tourism industry for a small destination, stating, “Tourism is everybody’s business. It is not just the Minister for Tourism, the PS, and the marketing staff. When times are good, we celebrate together because our achievements result from collective efforts. During tough times, like the current challenges we face, it’s crucial that each of us takes responsibility to overcome them.”
As part of the Marketing Meeting, managers and market representatives engaged in various activities. These included internal meetings with local teams, such as the product planning and development team and the administration team.
Participants also immersed themselves in the vibrant Creole Rendezvous Experience to gain a deeper understanding of the project. They visited the State House and had the honour of meeting with the President of Seychelles, Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan.
Additionally, they had the opportunity to explore new offerings, including the recently launched Canopy Seychelles, which opened its doors earlier this year, and the highly anticipated Avani+, set to open later this year.
