SEYCHELLES GOVERNMENT SANCTIONS CHARTERS FROM CHINA
(Posted 28th April 2015)
The Seychelles’ Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport Mr. Joel Morgan, who is also the Chairman of Air Seychelles, appeared alongside his cabinet colleague Alain St. Ange at the opening press briefing last weekend while launching the Seychelles Carnival 2015.
Joel Morgan used the opportunity to confirm that indeed has the Seychelles’ government, through the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority, agreed to give landing rights to a series of charter flights from China, which will for the first time connect the world’s most populous country nonstop to the archipelago’s main island of Mahe.
Chinese visitor numbers have this year already shown a rise again and while Air Seychelles is flying three times a week from Mahe via Abu Dhabi to Hong Kong, is a widening of the air connectivity seen as crucial to further tap into that market and increase visitor numbers to the Seychelles.
Seychelles’ Vice President Mr. Danny Foure, who was in China last weekend, also touched in his bilateral talks on the issue of bilateral air services and it is understood that it will be a Chinese airline, yet to be confirmed which one, launching the first flight to link the two countries.
The Seychelles have in recent years added a China – Seychelles’ week festival which has brought added attention in China for the archipelago and has attended key tourism trade shows in China. In addition have tourism attaches been posted to the Seychelles embassy and consulates in China to help exploit the market through a direct presence, able to respond to any queries in real time.
China was one of the countries represented at the Seychelles’ Carnival 2015 and was warmly received by the local spectators.
In a related development was it also confirmed during a visit to the Seychelles’ Tourism Academy that the institution has signed a second MoU with a Chinese hospitality and tourism college in Beijing after already cooperating with a Shanghai based college for the past two years. Exchanges of lecturers, and students, will assist to teach Chinese to the students of the La Misere based STA in readiness for greater visitor numbers from China.
For more information about Destination Seychelles click on www.seychelles.travel
