For decades, Seychelles has occupied an enviable place on the global tourism map. Crystal-clear waters, powder-white beaches, granite boulders and secluded luxury resorts have made the Indian Ocean archipelago synonymous with romance and leisure.
But tucked away on Eden Island, just minutes from Seychelles International Airport and the capital, Victoria, a different tourism story is quietly unfolding.
It is a story about boardrooms instead of beaches, conferences alongside cocktails, and a determined effort to convince the world that Seychelles can be just as successful hosting business events as it is honeymooners.
At the centre of that story is Eden Bleu Hotel.
“We were the first hotel dedicated to the corporate market in Seychelles,” says General Manager Manuel Policarpo, who has led the property since 2016.
For the Portuguese hotelier, whose hospitality journey has taken him through Portugal, Angola, Mozambique and now Seychelles, the past decade has been about changing perceptions.
“It has been hard work because everybody connects Seychelles with leisure, sunshine and beautiful beaches,” he tells VoyagesAfriq. “When we attended international trade shows, we spent more than half of our time explaining that we are not a beach hotel or a resort. We are a business conference hotel.”
That message, however, is beginning to resonate.
General Manager , Manuel Policarpo
A Destination Growing beyond leisure
According to Policarpo, international buyers are increasingly recognising that Seychelles offers much more than idyllic holiday escapes.
“In recent years it has become much better because we are getting more international conferences,” he explains. “People now know they can choose Seychelles as a MICE destination.”
The hotel’s location has become one of its strongest selling points.
Positioned on the exclusive Eden Island development, Eden Bleu sits barely ten minutes from the international airport and five minutes from Victoria, giving delegates quick access to government offices, financial institutions, restaurants and leisure attractions.
For organisers, that accessibility is complemented by purpose-built facilities rarely associated with island destinations.
The hotel’s ballroom accommodates between 250 and 280 delegates and is complemented by four fully equipped boardrooms fitted with interactive touchscreen technology. Flexible partitioning allows simultaneous events to run within the same venue, while a large in-house catering operation supports everything from executive meetings to gala dinners and state functions.
“We tailor-make every event,” Policarpo explains. “Whether it is lawyers, sustainability organisations, government meetings or corporate conferences, we adjust the facilities, the technology and the service according to the client’s needs.”
He believes the hotel’s service standards are comparable with established international business destinations.
“We compete with destinations like Dubai and some places in Europe because we have the facilities and the service at the same level.”
Building Confidence in African MICE
Perhaps more significant than the bricks and mortar is the investment in people.
While many hotels train staff primarily for leisure tourism, Eden Bleu has built its operational culture around business events.
“Our focus during training has always been based on the business and conference market,” Policarpo says. “Our staff understand the requirements of conferences, exhibitions and corporate meetings.”
That specialisation has earned recognition beyond the hotel itself.
Its kitchens regularly provide outdoor catering for major functions, including government events and services for other hotels, demonstrating both scale and operational capability.
“It is recognition from the local authorities,” he notes. “We are prepared to offer those services whenever they are needed.”
Selling Seychelles to the MICE World
Winning business, however, requires more than facilities.
It requires visibility.
That is why Eden Bleu has invested heavily in specialist MICE trade shows, including IMEX Frankfurt and regional industry exhibitions in South Africa.
Policarpo believes this strategy has also influenced national thinking.
“In the beginning, MICE was not really part of the tourism portfolio,” he says. “Now Seychelles Tourism is also targeting this opportunity. I think it is great for the destination.”
He credits the growing partnership between the hotel and Tourism Seychelles for helping reposition the country beyond its leisure image.
The country’s visa-free entry policy and expanding air connectivity have strengthened that proposition.
“Today we have direct flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Paris and Frankfurt,” Policarpo says. “We are already hosting many events from SADC and other African countries. It is easy for delegates to come.”
Rebecca, a member of Eden Bleu’s commercial team, says strong collaboration with Destination Management Companies (DMCs) has become another competitive advantage.
“Our DMC partners create the tailor-made leisure programmes while we focus on the corporate facilities,” she explains. “They organise regular site inspections so they understand our product and can confidently sell it.”
She believes closer collaboration across the tourism value chain will become increasingly important as Seychelles seeks larger international meetings.
“There should be more information sharing among industry partners, especially around major MICE trade shows, so everyone understands the opportunities available.”
The Next Chapter
Despite optimism, Policarpo acknowledges that the meetings industry remains vulnerable to global events.
Flight disruptions and geopolitical tensions affected bookings earlier this year, causing several conferences to be cancelled.
“The business has started picking up again,” he says. “But today you cannot predict anything. Sometimes you are 80 per cent occupied and finish the day full. Other times you are fully booked and things change overnight.”
Yet his long-term outlook remains positive.
With new internationally branded hotels entering the Seychelles market and conference capacity steadily increasing, he believes the destination is approaching a tipping point.
His advice is straightforward: continue investing in specialised MICE promotion, deepen collaboration with industry partners, and mobilise Seychelles’ overseas diplomatic missions to help market the country as a business events destination.
“We have become a big tourism family,” he says. “The hotels, the DMCs and Tourism Seychelles work together. That is our strength.”
For visitors, the reward extends well beyond the meeting room.
“They can spend two or three days at a conference and then stay longer to discover the islands,” Policarpo says. “That is something many destinations cannot offer.”
For a destination long celebrated for leisure, that may prove to be Seychelles’ strongest business proposition yet.
This Article was first published in the August 2026 Edition of VoyagesAfriq Travel Magazine
