Seychelles Tourism’s new focus: Embracing sports, expanding markets and courting film industry
Against the backdrop of Africa’s premier travel trade show, WTM Africa this year in Cape Town, Seychelles Tourism made an impressive showing as it showcased the island country’s rich and exotic tourism products to the thousands who attended the travel trade show.
Mrs. Bernadette Willemin, Director General for Destination Marketing at Tourism Seychelles, sat down with VoyagesAfriq to shed light on some key initiatives discussed during the event.
Focus on sports tourism
One of the focal points of the discussions making up several of the meetings held during the Show revolved around leveraging sports as a catalyst for boosting tourism. Mrs. Willemin emphasised the potential of utilizing various sports activities to enhance the visibility of Seychelles as a prime destination.
She said the country is exploring the idea of hosting events that cater to different interests of sports stakeholders. “It could be professionals, amateurs or anybody who like certain particular sports who can come and participate in these events in Seychelles,” she remarked. As a boost to this goal, Seychelles has been will host the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
From sea-related activities to inland adventures like triathlons, the Director General added they see tremendous opportunities to attract diverse visitors through sports tourism.
Highlighting the symbiotic relationship between sports and cultural immersion, Mrs. Willemin noted, “The events might take only 25 to 30% of their time in Seychelles. The rest of their time, they will be visitors just like any other visitors in Seychelles. So, this is an opportunity to showcase our culture, give them the possibility of going out there and then do some cultural experiences and get to meet the people.”
Africa as a vital market for Seychelles Tourism
Acknowledging the significance of Africa as a key market, Mrs. Willemin underscored the strategic importance of tapping into the continent’s vast potential. While South Africa remains a cornerstone of Seychelles’ African market, the Director General maintained that they are keenly aware of the untapped opportunities in other regions, particularly in Eastern Africa.
She explained: “We know that there is potential in the eastern part of Africa bearing in mind as well that Seychelles, we are being serviced today by two African carriers; Ethiopian and Kenyan Airlines. Talking about Ethiopian Airlines, there is potential to tap into the international community, the expat community in Ethiopia. So, definitely Africa is on our priority list and we really want to grow our market share from the continent.”
Lights, camera, Seychelles: The emergence of film tourism
Mrs. Willemin also revealed that while the island nation has been a backdrop for occasional television productions, there’s growing interest in positioning Seychelles as a sought-after filming location. The island country’s natural beauty, she said, serves as an unparalleled canvas for cinematic storytelling.
“In fact, during the show (WTM Africa) we’ve had discussions and seen interest of certain companies who want to further discuss the possibility of staging films in the Seychelles,” the Director General disclosed.
