#SEYCHELLES NOW PROMOTES HIKING AS AN ADDED ATTRACTION
(Posted 25th October 2017)
Best known for its pristine crystal clear waters and the powdery white sand beaches can visitors to the archipelago expect a lot more, when taking a closer look.
More than half of the island nation’s territory and huge tracts of the surrounding Indian Ocean waters are today protected areas, with the percentage on land exceeding 50 percent, more than any other nation on this planet.
Diving, deep sea fishing, sailing and snorkeling are some of the ocean based activities visitors come to enjoy but there is yet more.
Two locations on the archipelago are recognized as #UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the famous Vallee de Mai on the island of #Praslin and the more distant #Aldabra Atoll while a third site is being prepared for formal application and approval by the world body, the so called #VennsTown, often written about here.
https://atcnews.org/2017/05/23/seychelles-on-course-for-third-unesco-world-heritage-site/
Festivals and sporting events are giving tourists yet more reasons to come to the paradise islands, among them the just commenced annual #FestivalKreol which this year also combines the famous parade of the Seychelles Carnival.
Creole heritage and culture, food, song and dance but also fashion are other reasons why visitors in ever increasing numbers come to the islands but as of this week has the Seychelles Tourism Board added yet another ‘attraction‘ to its extensive list of ‘What is there to do in the Seychelles‘.
To ensure that visitors get the most rewarding experience when exploring the Seychelles’ nature trails has the Seychelles Tourism Board launched its first official guide to hiking in Seychelles.
The guidebook was presented to the press, travel trade partners including airlines, hotels, DMC’s, tour operators and travel agencies in Paris last week. In her address did the CEO of Seychelles Tourism, Mrs. Sherin Francis say: ‘France is a nation of hikers. I have come to understand that globally some 16 to 18 million people go hiking every year, and more than 5 million French nationals do it on a regular basis. Your customers, our visitors, your readers, and the journalists, certainly love to go hiking on the weekends, and there is no reason why they would not wish to do the same while on holiday in the Seychelles. But again, we had to ensure that we guide their first steps. We had to measure the hiking distance, map out the trails, assess their difficulty, and identify the best trails throughout the islands. This is the considerable work that the authors of this guide have done. Hiking, becomes an additional tool in promoting Seychelles as a tourist destination. One more activity to promote, in the same way we promote scuba diving or golf. It’s a popular activity, accessible to all and an ecological one, which should go a long way in helping us to protect a natural heritage‘.
80 packed pages provide detailed information about 15 trails spread across the Seychelles’ four largest islands, Mahé, Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette, for the benefit of visitors in search of an active and adventurous holiday in the Indian Ocean archipelago.
Added the Director of Marketing for Europe, Mrs. Willemin: ‘This guide will definitely promote Seychelles’ biodiversity and encourage our visitors to preserve our beautiful nature while discovering our wealth, which is our greenery found on various trails. The hiking guidebook has been completed thanks to many partners. The Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA) is one of the partners that has played a key role in providing the expertise of its personnel who accompanied the authors to ensure that that they get to discover all of the trails’ hidden treasures‘.The book is available now in both an English and French language version.
This author has in the past repeatedly reported about such activities on the Seychelles and related articles are accessible through the links shown below.
https://atcnews.org/2017/01/20/hiking-trails-across-the-seychelles-islands-a-novel-way-to-explore/
https://atcnews.org/2014/06/12/morne-seychellois-national-park-celebrates-35th-anniversary/
