The island paradise of Seychelles took centre stage at the recently concluded World Travel Market (WTM) London 2024, as one of Africa’s shining stars promoting tourism to a global audience. Renowned for its luxury and pristine beach destinations, Seychelles is committed to strengthening its presence in key international markets, with the UK being a primary focus.
Bernadette Willemin, Director General of Destinations Marketing at Tourism Seychelles, highlighted the significance of the UK market in achieving the country’s tourism goals. Speaking with VoyagesAfriq during WTM London, she remarked on Seychelles’ 2024 performance and the country’s challenges in reaching target visitor numbers.
“This year we have had a little bit of challenges,” Willemin said. “We had a very good Q1, but the Q2 was somewhat a bit slow and it didn’t meet our expected target. But we’ve seen that business has started picking up from October onwards which means we have a good Q4. But unfortunately, might not be sufficient enough to fill in the gap which we couldn’t not fill during Q2 and part of Q3 period. So in general when we look at our business, we will break even, meaning more or less same volume which we generated last year and with a little bit more hope, maybe with one or two percent growth but definitely we will not meet the five percent target we were looking for.”
Looking ahead, Seychelles is determined to ramp up its marketing strategies, leveraging high-profile events and activities. Willemin shared that 2025 will see enhanced efforts, including the globally anticipated FIFA Beach Soccer event in May, hosted on Seychelles’ iconic shores.
“In 2025, we will keep pushing to ensure that we generate the expected results, of course, leveraging on certain big activities – the FIFA Beach Soccer which will take place in Seychelles during the month of May. Definitely we are leveraging on this event to be able attract more visitors to the Seychelles before and after as well of the event,” she explained. “But worldwide, we will continue to be very aggressive on the market through our marketing and different corners of the world and also tapping into different market segments ensuring that we have a constant flow throughout the year.”
Willemin also emphasized the importance of Africa as a key source market, noting Seychelles’ unique African heritage as a vital asset in expanding its reach on the continent. She described how the vibrant African culture aligns with tourists’ expectations of an authentic experience.
“Africa fits very much into our plans because when we think of Africa, we definitely think about culture, we know that it is vibrant and everything is on the move. It fits very well with what visitors are looking for in an African experience. For us, we will use our African heritage which we have in the Seychelles to give us the extra mileage to be able to talk about the Seychelles,” the Director General said.
