Tourism Ambassadors - Newsletter PG1 - Seychelles Tourism Board

June, 2010
WELCOME TO 35 NEW TOURISM AMBASSADORS
Seychelles has welcomed 35 new members
to its Tourism Ambassadors
programme, bringing the total to 95 in
30 countries worldwide now representing
Seychelles.
The announcement of the third group
coincided with the Seychelles National Day
on June 18, once again commending the
voluntary contribution of dedicated Seychellois
overseas.
It is to be noted that Seychellois living
abroad are considered natural ambassadors
of their country of birth and Seychelles is
grateful for the contribution of each and
every member in raising the profile of the
islands on the tourism market.
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRIA
FRANCE
MAURITIUS
PAKISTAN
SOUTH
AFRICA
SPAIN
Ms. Hillary Vidot
from Adelaide
Mrs. Mary-Mica
Vierlinger (née Abel)
from Vienna
Ms. Aurelie Bonvalet
from Arles
Mr. Kalyan Patel
from Terre Rouge
Mr. Shahid Ahmad
from Karachi
Mrs. Josette Weber
(née Larue)
from Cape Town
Mr. Mark Dunford
from Barcelona
The Seychelles Tourism Board, who initiated
the programme on behalf of Seychelles, has
said the enthusiasm towards the initiative has
surpassed all expectations.
Today, the country is benefiting from the
services of 95 individuals in some of
Seychelles’ main tourist markets as well as
several countries that are not represented at the
moment.
The members have been active in many ways,
from attending trade fairs and other marketing
activities, to doing their own promotions in a
bid to attract more visitors to Seychelles.
The 35 new Tourism Ambassadors now join
the 14 initially announced in January and the
second group of 46 appointed in May, on the
CANADA
IRELAND
REUNION
Ms. Tahirih Ernesta
from Adelaide
Mr. Michael Fayon
from Bordeaux
Issue: 3
Mr. Antoine Lautee
from Calgary
Mrs. Mathilda Twomey
(née Butler-Payette)
from Galway
Dr Kenneth Sherwin
from St. Louis
Mrs. Renette Vidot-Acquah
from Johannesburg
Mr. Xavier Jacqueline
from Palma de Mallorca
network of “Once a Seychellois … always a
Seychellois”.
Alain St Ange, the Seychelles’ Director of
Tourism Marketing, has said that the country’s
overseas offices are now having added support
from the Tourism Ambassadors input, to more
adequately service our tourism markets.
“Their network of contacts and local knowledge
in their countries of residence are invaluable
tools in promoting Seychelles as a
tourism destination across the globe,” he said.
We bid welcome to all the new members on
the programme and wish them luck in their
activities.
The new Tourism Ambassadors are as
follows:
Mrs. Jeannine
Gilbert-Finnigan
from Perth
CHINA
Mrs. Monica
Michel-Bonvalet
from Marseille
Mr. Kevyn Wilmot
from Gold Coast
Mr. Christopher
Azais
from Shenzen
Mrs. Mary Isaac
(née Asba)
from Paris
SWEDEN Mrs. Lucy Blom
(née Alcindor)
from Stockholm
UAE
Ms. Aliette Esther
from Dubai

SWITZERLAND
UNITED
KINGDOM Mrs. Suzette Ward
(née Moulinie)
from Bristol
UNITED STATE
OF
AMERICA
Ms. Lynne Domingue
from London
Mrs. Marie Antoinette
Swapp (née Savy)
from Colorado
Mrs. Georgette Ross
(née Shroff)
from Louisiana
The appointment of Seychelles Tourism
Ambassadors is still receiving coverage all
over the world and Leonie Naylor, the
member for Michigan, in the USA, was
recently on the Ann Arbor.com.
Mrs. Naylor is both
a multi-linguist and
a Professional
Counsellor who
specializes in
multi-cultural
relationships and
individuals transitioning
into American
culture from
outside. She is also
a former employee
of the Ministry of
Tourism both in
Germany and the
Seychelles.
She has accepted
her new post with
enthusiasm and
looks forward to
doing her share in
promoting her
islands to the
world.
Ms. Inese Bastienne
from Geneva
UKRAINE
Mrs. Valentyna Avilova
from Odessa
Ms Muriel Choppy
from Inverness
Ms. Rose Fayon
from London
Mr. Jacques Bronze
from Guam
Mrs. Cecile Nageon
Szulkowski
from Orlanda
Mrs. Georgina Dhillon
(née D’Acambra)
from London
Mrs. Roselyn Adam
from Houston
LEONIE NAYLOR ON ANN ARBOR.COM
Mrs. Myrtile Webb
(née Lablache de Charmoy)
from San José
"I've seen that people in Michigan and the
Midwest generally, are very attracted to the
Seychelles, both by its exotic beauty as an
island group and in its extremely diverse
'Creole' culture. I look forward to my new
role."

TOURISM AMBASSADORS ON THE MOVE
BERNARD DELAFONTAINE
AT AN ESCAPADES EVENING
Every year during the period of one week, Seychelles conducts
a road-show across France – known as Escapades Seychelles –
in the form of sales mission where different partners have the
chance to present their products to travel agents.
Tourism Ambassador Bernard Delafontaine from Bordeaux,
brought his support at one of the activities during Escapades 2010
by lending his precious coco-de-mer and giant tortoise model for
an evening.
These really helped to add a Seychelles’ touch to the evening and
all partners were really proud to have their pictures taken with
these two icons of our destination.
PEARL HOAREAU,
MARYVONNE POOL URGE
TOURISTS TO ADD SEYCHELLES
TO AFRICAN HOLIDAY
Whilst Escapades
was ongoing in
France, Seychelles
was also tackling
another part of the
world, this time East
Africa.
In line with the
Seychelles Tourism
Board’s mission to
diversify its source
markets, a delegation
was in Tanzania and
Uganda, to sell the
twin-holiday concept.
Through this package,
tourists can experience
two destinations in one
Pearl Hoareau (right)
assisting the workshop in Uganda
holiday, and in these cases, they can visit either Tanzania or Uganda
first and then end it with a beach holiday in Seychelles.
The Tourism Ambassadors in both countries coordinated and
organised the workshops with the travel agents in the two countries.
Pearl Hoareau, who is also the managing director of the Uganda
Travel Bureau, has showed a lot of support towards the new initiative
and she will be key in driving it on the ground in Uganda.
The same applies to Maryvonne Pool, also the Honorary Consul for
Seychelles in Dar Es Salam, who ensured Seychelles benefited the
maximum from its first working visit in Tanzania. She organised
aside meetings for the delegation and established important contacts
to facilitate the implementation of the twin-holiday option.
Maryvonne Pool (1st right) with fellow Seychelles delegates in Tanzania
Bernard Delafontaine (standing 1st left)
joins the Seychelles team on an Escapades evening
VISITOR ARRIVALS
Two thousand eight hundred and sixteen (2,816) visitors arrived in
Seychelles during the week ending Sunday 27th June, 2010. This
brought the total for the last four weeks to 11,180 visitors, which
was 14% above the 2009 level.
The year to date figure for 2010 shows that 83,673 visitors arrived
in Seychelles. This figure was 14% above the 2009 figure (73,639).
The year to date figure was 21% above the average for the same
period of the last five years.
The leading markets to date are:
France 17,743
Italy 12,226
Germany 9,652
UK and Eire 5,425
Russia 5,247
South Africa 4,785.
COMING UP NEXT …
COMING UP NEXT …
Marketing Activities And Trade Fairs
Agent Sales Calls in Reunion 21-25th June
Agent Workshop in UK 15th July
Trauminsel Reisen Event in Germany 4th July
KAYLAN KAYLAN PATEL GETS
WELCOME WELCOME IN L’EXPRESS
L’EXPRESS
Only days after his official appointment, the new Tourism Ambassador
for Mauritius, Kaylan Patel, got his mention in the press.
L’Express carried out an article on his appointment and new role.