REUNION’S ATTENDANCE OF ‘ROYAL SHOW’ A BIG HIT IN SOUTH AFRICA
(Posted 13th June 2014)
Reunion’s participation in the recent Pietermaritzburg based ‘Royal Show’ allowed over 150.000 trade show visitors to pass by the island’s stand and admire the varied attractions which await visitors. Now in place for over a year has the Visa waiver for South African passport holders helped to increase visitor numbers by a whopping third on a year on year basis and a further increase is expected for this year and beyond.
As seen in the picture above, courtesy of IRT, did large crowds throng the stand to watch the short promotional films including flights over the rugged interior of the island, the active volcano and the lagoons along the shoreline of the island. A prize of a one week stay at the four star Hotel Saint Alexis, a rental car courtesy of ITC Tropicar and return airtickets courtesy of Air Austral, the island’s home carrier, made sure that interest levels were kept at a constant high. During the show was an evening reception in honor of the Ambassador of France in South Africa, Ms. Barber, was held at the Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg. The troupe Spirit Maloya hosted the evening to the rhythm of Sega and Maloya in the presence of over 70 South African guests invited for the cocktails.
To further intensify visibility in the South African market has IRT, Ile de la Reunion Tourisme, invited a group of leading travel bloggers from South Africa for a week on the island, from where they will tweet and update their blogs on a daily basis, narrating to their readers their daily discoveries of attractions, meeting local residents and interacting with tourism stakeholders. The trip will take place between 26th of June and 03rd of July during which a new Reunion blog will be launched where travel experiences can be told and shared with fellow travelers and other who still ponder about visiting this French Indian Ocean island located between Madagascar and Mauritius. Hosted by Yann Macherez, the National Geographic Channel Adventure Ambassador who is a native of Reunion, will such publications like the Getaway Magazine and News24Travel be part of the group, joining up with Merushka Govender, known as ‘Mzansigirl’ (www.mzansigirl.com) who, together with Natalie Roos, aka ‘TailsOfAMermaid’ (www.tailsofamermaid.com) are thought to be South Africa’s top travel bloggers. The composition of the group will no doubt make sure that this venture will get maximum exposure in South Africa. Watch out for the going on line of www.blog.welcometoreunionisland.com or else visit www.reunion.fr
Reunion is a founder member of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Island Organization, which brings together the main islands off the Eastern seaboard of Africa and includes Madagascar, Mauritius, Rodriguez, Mayotte, the Comoros and the Seychelles, and from a little further away the Maldives.
