St. Ange’s tourism report edition 4

To the online newswires who reposted the Tourism Report, thank you very much. Friends and partners for the cause of tourism, this is what you are.

Once again in this edition we have reposted links to our first, second and third editions in the event that some of you missed them. We are also reposting links from select newswires who are dutifully reposting our publications on Linkedln, WhatsApp and Twitter.

Respect must start with families; bullying behaviour is learned behaviour and children will adopt the behaviours they are witnessing in the home. Respect must also be employed by those in Office; our Nation’s leaders must strive to be good role models to our susceptible youth because they dominate the media. The lack of respect across the board is threatening the basic fabric of good society.

The notion of respect encapsulates a respect of the law and the institutions that comprise our country. Many years ago, in the early 1950s, the Executive, the Judiciary, and the Country’s influential landowners and taxpayers did not see eye to eye. The man of the era, namely Mr Charles Collet, the acting Attorney-General, was appointed to rewrite the Penal Code. He was unceremoniously disbarred and fled Seychelles for self-exile in France. He was in office but the institution was not being respected. However, this all occurred while we were still a British Colony. It is hoped that we as a Nation have progressed since then. Today we honour the same Mr Charles Collet, naming a building after him in the heart of Victoria, and history questions the happenings that unfolded not so long ago.

Respect for the law and for one another is integral to a good and peaceful society. One notable family on Praslin have been trying to develop a small tourism establishment on their property for many years, but were thwarted at every turn by Government. Despite a recent Court order overriding Government’s decision to deprive the family of their right to develop their land as they had intended to, they are encountering further complications; there is a prospect of a new Government ring road from Anse Lazio to Mont Plaisir, which would effectively cut through the family’s property and disrupt once again the family’s dream project. Is this respect for the family’s rights, I wonder?

Discussions pertaining to tourism and the importance of understanding this industry continue to prompt interesting comments from readers. One thought-provoking point raised was the impact that the call for fast food outlets in Seychelles would have on our tourism industry. The new proposed introduction of large fast food chains, such as McDonalds or Kentucky Fried Chicken, have worried locals that the ‘fast food phenomenon’ would change Victoria for good. They will arrive with neon lights and the queues for such fast food will lead to the inevitable demise of the typical Seychellois Take-Aways and, with them, a taste of the island’s culture.

Seychelles last week hosted the PMAESA (Port Management Association of Eastern & Southern Africa) and I was honoured and privileged to be the moderator for this prestigious event.

Saint Ange Consultancy may soon be expanded, through possible affiliates, to cater to the demands of the tourism trade. Areas to be considered include eco-tourism, conservation, and economic consultancy. The future is certainly ripe with possibilities and we are excited to see where we can grow.

Enjoy the read,
Alain St.Ange

Saint Ange Consultancy

‘Home Grown’ Small Hotel Chalets d’Anse Forbans leads the way

This establishment celebrates its 23rd anniversary this year. The Chalets opened their doors to welcome guests on 20th October 1994 and have seen great success ever since, enjoying high occupancy levels.

Chalets d’Anse Forbans are not only active in the tourism field; they are also known leaders in the fight for conservation in Seychelles. They actively support their local community and local businesses. They have partnered with others within their Community and now Anse Forbans enjoys their very own Community Driven NGO to support the environmental needs for this small village in the district of Takamaka.

A commendable 90% of their employed staff are Seychellois. They have expanded over the years and recently underwent a major renovation, which has delighted faithful clients. Chalets d’Anse Forbans is very fortunate to enjoy a large clientele that return each year, some having returned annually to the charming establishment for a period of 20 years! They are pioneers in their field and have weathered global recessions throughout the past 21 years.

Their business success is well demonstrated with their past rewards such as Tripadvisor’s Certificates of Excellence in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, as well as their excellent scoring on Booking.com.

Wakanow.com formally enters the East Africa market

The exclusive launch event which was attended by key regional travel trade stakeholders including airlines, hotels, travel agents and representatives of tourism bodies also witnessed the unveiling of the localized wakanow.co.ke travel portal.

Speaking during the occasion, Mr. Obinna Ekezie, the Founder and Group Managing Director of Wakanow Ltd, stated that the East African market is and has always been a vital link in the African travel industry both as a vibrant inbound and outbound source of traffic.

“The strong partnerships Wakanow has had with Kenya over the years and the growth we have witnessed from this region is an indication enough that a local presence in Kenya is vital at this moment to take care of the East Africa market”, said Mr. Ekezie.

“I am particularly delighted at the prospect of bringing our travel expertise tailored for the African traveler to East Africa. From our humble beginnings in Nigeria eight years ago, we have become the best at what we do. Karibu and let’s grow the African travel industry together”, added Mr. Ekezie.

While lauding the decision taken by Wakanow to open a regional office in Kenya, the Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Tourism Board, Dr. Betty Radier, underlined the need to grow tourism numbers into Africa and promote intra-Africa travel.

“This is a commendable move by Wakanow. The Pay Kidogo Kidogo service will certainly be attractive for many in the region who want to plan their vacation over time”, commented Dr. Radier.

As part of its services portfolio, Wakanow pioneered “Pay Small Small (PSS)” travel installment payment scheme which is a runaway success in its other markets.

Since its inception, Wakanow has been key in sending travelers to Kenya from Nigeria and Ghana and in 2015 they launched a booking portal called the destinationsafrica.com, totally dedicated to travel packages in and around Africa.

Besides its online presence, Wakanow has over 40 travel centers across West Africa, presence in nine African countries, Dubai, USA, UK and is looking to expand aggressively in East Africa creating jobs and being a part of the discussions to open-up the skies for easy travel across Africa.

Wakanow is Nigerians’ foremost online travel booking portal and has grown from a relatively humble beginning in 2008 to one of the power players in the travel industry in Nigeria today. With offices in Ghana, Dubai, the UK and now Kenya, Wakanow has distinguished itself in the online travel industry with the many achievements.

Some highlights –

· Founded in 2008 as Nigeria’s first Online Travel Agency (OTA);

· The only Travel Management Company in Sub- Saharan Africa to be certified by both MasterCard and Visa International;

· Exclusive ticket reseller for both the London Olympics and the World Cup in RIO Brazil in 2012;

· Awarded the coveted Tony Elumelu All Nigeria Network Awards as one of the 50 fastest growing companies in Nigeria;

· Awarded the honour of 5th fastest growing company in Nigeria in 2013;

· Founder and MD of Wakanow, Obinna Ekezie, won the prestigious All Africa Business Leaders Awards for West Africa for 2015;

· Exclusive ticket reseller for the 2016 RIO Olympics; and

· Present in nine African countries, Dubai, USA, UK.

President Didier Robert of Reunion Island launches the World Congress on Humpback Whales

This event dedicated to the Megaptera novaeangliae, the humpback whale, is an opportunity to better understand this marine mammal, to protect it and to highlight the progress of the various research concerning it and especially to inscribe the "chemin des baleines ", to the UNESCO World Heritage. The official launch of these five intense days was attended by many renowned scientists from the Dominican Republic, the United States, New Caledonia, France, Australia and Reunion. This congress is organized by the Réunion Region and the Cétamada association. Réunion is located on the route of the humpback whales that evolve between the Antarctic Ocean and the warm waters of the inter-tropical zone during calving and breeding periods.

Alongside the World Congress on the Humpback Whale, the Stella Matutina Museum in La Réunion is hosting a magnificent exhibition untitled Mysterious Cetacean. This temporary exhibition was carried out by about forty classes from La Reunion, Madagascar and Comoros. It provides an inventory of historical and scientific knowledge about the humpback whale in the southern Indian Ocean. Intended for all audiences, this exhibition is halfway between creativity and science. The curator of the exhibition is none other than Tatiana Patchama, a Reunion artist. The exhibition will then tour the islands of the Indian Ocean, including Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius and a stop in Tanzania and Kenya on mainland Africa.

JLL appoints Seychellois Mark Dunford as Head of JLL East Africa

In rounding up Dunford’s comprehensive background across various assets of the hospitality and real estate industries, his suitability for this new role is undeniable. His previous experience includes providing strategic advice on diverse hospitality and hotel development projects such as being accommodation advisor to the Rio 2016 summer Olympics, in addition to numerous projects in Africa and the Indian Ocean region. Most recently he has worked as a Senior Consultant at Lausanne Hospitality Consulting, Development Director at Singaporean private equity fund KOP Properties as well as having spent time as part of the Hotels and Hospitality Group in the London offices of JLL, when he initially joined the firm over 10 years ago.

“I am excited by the opportunities which this new role presents as head of one of the fastest growing regions globally. Working with our expanding team of exceptional professionals based in East Africa, I look forward to helping our local and international clients achieve their ambitions” – Mark Dunford, Head, JLL East Africa.

Although Dunford will continue to lead the Hotels & Hospitality division in east Africa for the remainder of this year, he will also take on the additional responsibilities of overseeing the region as their official head, focusing on strategic growth, business development, talent management and driving revenue growth.

“Mark’s aptitude and contributions have been invaluable to JLL, he embodies so many of the wonderful traits of our company. I have no doubt that Mark’s vision will continue to enhance the strategic direction, growth, and profitability of JLL East Africa under his leadership” – Craig Hean, Managing Director, JLL Sub-Saharan Africa.

As we say Congratulations to Mark Dunford from Seychelles, we also extend the same warm wishes to his mother, Mia Dunford. Mia is a firm believer in Sustainable Tourism Development and continues to be active in conservation and tourism related matters. She was formally part of the Senior Management at the Seychelles Tourism Board. Mark Dunford is a Tourism Ambassador for the Seychelles Tourism Board.

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. A Fortune 500 company, JLL helps real estate owners, occupiers and investors achieve their business ambitions. In 2016, JLL had revenue of $6.8 billion and fee revenue of $5.8 billion and, on behalf of clients, managed 4.4 billion square feet, or 409 million square meters, and completed sales acquisitions and finance transactions of approximately $136 billion. At year-end 2016, JLL had nearly 300 corporate offices, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 77,000. As of December 31, 2016, LaSalle Investment Management has $60.1 billion of real estate under asset management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit http://www.africa.jll.com/africa/en-gb.

Invitation to participate at Spotlight TravelExpo Addis Ababa 24th & 25th July

Ethiopia is a fast-growing outbound market to the Rest of Africa & Indian Ocean islands. There is considerable corporate Business from Ethiopia into Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam and other African cities. Beach tourism is also a high priority for Ethiopians with the Seychelles, Kenyan coast and Zanzibar being popular destinations.

Ethiopian Airlines is rapidly growing its route network to African/Indian ocean cities and Addis is among the most important African hub for European and global connections.

Spotlight is once again partnering with Ethiopian Airlines, The Ethiopian Travel Agents Association and ETOA to organise this TravelExpo in Addis Ababa. Last year over 150 Travel trade attended.

Ethiopian Airlines Addis based Sales team will be sending invites to all 95 IATA Travel agents as well as the 120 Non IATA Agents based in the capital.

Spotlight TravelExpo Addis Ababa will comprise of two events –

· A VIP Cocktail Party for 30 Top travel agency/Tour operator owners /directors in co-operation with ETAA, ETOA and Ethiopian Airlines on Monday evening 24 July. Sponsored by RadissonBlu Hotel.

· A four-hour morning TravelExpo session on Tuesday 25 July 2017 at RadissonBlu Hotel.

For more information visit www.houstontravelmarketing.co.za

Africa feeling the heat of climate change

Warming waters are not a problem only for penguins and other sea creatures. They have major implications for coastal communities all around the continent, where a quarter of all people rely on the ocean as a primary source of food.
Globally, average temperatures will increase by more than 2°C by the end of the 21st century, and could increase by as much as 3°C by 2050 and even by 6°C by 2100. The impacts of this warming on the ocean surrounding the continent are already being felt.
Small-scale artisanal fishing and tourism are critical economic pillars for communities along Africa’s 30,500km coastline. Many of these are grappling with the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels, warming waters and increasing ocean acidification, which has led to greater coastal erosion that has damaged infrastructure in West Africa. A warming Indian Ocean has damaged coral reefs that are essential for tourism, fishing, and the protection of the shoreline.
“One of the biggest threats to coastal and marine systems in Africa is climate change,” says Yuvan A. Beejadhur, team leader on ocean economy at the World Bank, adding, “The impacts are already being detected in many areas of the continent.”
According to Beejadhur, natural resources specialist, sea temperatures in coastal boundary systems may continue to increase over the next few decades and centuries. If current trends continue, sea temperatures will increase from 0.62°C to 0.85°C over the next few years and from 2.44°C to 3.32°C over the long term, he warns.
“This will mean Africa will need a cascade in financing. It will require significant funds, finance and investments that need to be unlocked, leveraged and catalysed for building resilient and climate-smart ocean economies,” he predicts.
Jacqueline Alder, manager of Global Partnerships for Responsible Fisheries at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), also notes the significant impact on coastal infrastructure of coastal erosion. Fishery landing sites have been forced to move, resulting in higher fishing costs. In some cases, poorer quality fish has led to lower market prices.
In addition, more frequent flooding has affected coastal systems, with runoff from the storms ending up in the oceans, reducing the salinity of the water and causing fish to move farther offshore. Consequently, fishermen have to travel farther to catch fish, “or they don’t fish at all”, she says.
In Mozambique, coastal erosion due to rising sea levels has significantly altered the coastline, says Eugénio João Muiange, the director of the National Institute of the Sea and Boundaries. “When we look at old maps and compare them with now, we see lots of changes. Small islands and sandbars have disappeared.”
“Erosion has eaten land 2-3km inland,” he adds. “When we look for a reason, we can only reach one conclusion — that it is sea-level rise.”

Coastal erosion has led to the displacement of communities in West Africa and has already resulted in economic losses of about 2.3% of GDP in Togo alone, the World Bank reported in 2016.
Ronald Jumeau, permanent representative of the Seychelles to the UN, says many of these trends have been noticed for years yet were poorly understood. Coastal erosion in West Africa has been “huge”, he says, and as a consequence many people have been forced to abandon their communities on the coast and look inland for new opportunities. “Suddenly it becomes a political issue,” he says, adding, “There’s a demographic shift underway.”
African countries often lack the data, the computing power and the analytical ability to take action, Jumeau points out.
Another result of climate change is ocean acidification. As the ocean absorbs greater amounts of carbon dioxide, it becomes more acid, and its changing chemistry poses a threat to coral reefs and biodiversity. About 30% of carbon dioxide caused by human activity dissolves into the oceans, and the increased acidity prevents organisms that depend on calcium carbonate from producing shells and skeletons.
Fisheries in the western Indian Ocean — off the east coast of Africa — mainly depend on coral reefs, Jumeau points out. Increased coral bleaching and mortality (generally caused by warming ocean temperatures) will have negative effects on fisheries, fishery-related employment and nutrition.
Corals across the western Indian Ocean declined by an average of more than 35% after bleaching events in 1998, 2010 and 2016. Such events have an economic cost: the coral bleaching event in 1998 cost the scuba dive tourism industry an estimated $2.2m in Zanzibar and up to $15.09m in Mombasa, Kenya.

Acidification of the ocean
Coral reefs in the Seychelles also suffered from the 1998 bleaching event, which was caused by warming from an El Niño weather phenomenon, but other bleaching events have also affected the country, recalls Jumeau. Some reefs have since been restored to health; others have not. Coral reefs are an essential tourist attraction and provide protection from coastal erosion for the hotels on the islands.
Around 2.5-million tourists per year visit the tropical coast area of Egypt; 23% of these tourists come specifically to dive, and a further 33% participate in snorkelling activities.
Cognisant of the destructive impact of climate change on the oceans around Africa, affected countries came together at the African Ministerial Conference on Ocean Economies and Climate Change in Mauritius in September last year to assess the challenges faced by coastal and marine systems in Africa and discuss the need to develop climate-ready ocean economies.
And last November, at the 2016 Marrakech Climate Conference held in Egypt, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the FAO announced an African package for climate-resilient ocean economies, an ambitious bundle of technical and financial assistance focused on measures to build resilience, reduce vulnerability, develop early warning systems and optimise carbon sequestration.
Between 2017 and 2020, the initiative will mobilise between $500m and $900m and implement programs linked to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
World Bank experts caution that without action, fish catches are projected to drop because of climate change — possibly by one half in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo, according to the FAO.
“These ambitious programmes aimed at strengthening the resilience of African coastal communities are critical to meeting the challenges and opportunities of climate change, especially for vulnerable Small Island Development States,” observes Maria Helena Semedo, FAO’s deputy director-general for natural resources.
“African coastal communities are some of the most affected by climate change,” she continues. “FAO is fully engaged and ready to be at the heart of these significant developments to work alongside countries and communities to reduce their vulnerabilities, build their resilience, and maximize opportunities emerging from climate change.”
The African package for climate-resilient ocean economies is composed of five flagship programmes, and each will have its own focus as well as sharing knowledge and best practices with the others.
In North Africa, the focus will start with fisheries, aquaculture and ocean observation systems; West African priorities will include fisheries, combating coastal erosion, and building tourism; in Central Africa, stretching from Cameroon to Angola, priorities will include a focus on safety at sea; East Africa will develop its aquaculture and tourism; and the Small Island Developing States, often the most dependent on the oceans and the most vulnerable to disaster and erosion, will focus on the development of an economy designed for sustainable development, generally referred to by experts as the “blue economy”.
African countries will be participating in the Ocean Conference to be held this year in New York from 5-9 June, which is aimed at promoting the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (life below water). The goal calls for action to address a range of ocean issues, including protecting marine biodiversity, reducing overfishing and addressing ocean acidification and marine pollution.
The Sahel has been battered by drought due to climate change.

Editor’s Note – Seychelles also suffers from effects of Climate Change as it promotes and is recognised for its work in the field of the Blue Economy. The personal efforts by former President James Michel earned him special recognition at a recent United Nations meeting.

‘Cruise Africa’ is launched at PMAESA meeting in Seychelles

Mrs Nozipho Mdawe, the Secretary general of the Organisation worked in close collaboration with Col. Andre Ciseau, the CEO of the Seychelles Ports Authority and the meeting was a great success for greater Africa.

Land-locked countries as well as coastal regions joined hands together to work with the Indian Ocean Vanilla islands grouping to further consolidate ‘Cruise Africa’ in all its diversity. To make cruise shipping work we need ports, we need air access and this consolidates tourism. ‘Brand Africa’ comes in and the narrative about Africa is to be seen by Africa for Africa. Ports and everything to do with shipping opens up the Blue Economy and this can overflow in what is today seen and promoted as sustainable tourism development.

Saint Ange Consultanty was contracted to be the meeting’s moderator and Alain St.Ange was personally in hand.

Ten resolutions were adopted at this PMAESA meeting –

1. Register Cruise Africa Brand from Sudan to Angola including land-linked countries;

2. Plan to support Kenya in the opening of the new terminal;

3. Ensure inclusiveness of Country participation in strategy development;

4. In preparation for the revival of the East Africa Cruise Tourism:

· Meeting with Ministers of Tourism – Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Uganda, Rwanda, Vanilla Islands, MSC SA Cruises and PMAESA

5. Develop a business case for operating a vessel

· Charter a vessel

· Outright purchase

· Encourage an existing operator to exploit the route

6. Learn and incorporate successful models such as South Africa Cruise Terminal Project

7. PMAESA to collaborate through an MoU with Vanilla Islands, MSC SA Cruises

8. Use Cruise Arabia model to benchmark Cruise Africa and develop unique selling points for international cruise events

9. Resolutions to communicated widely in order to encourage participation of all stakeholders

10. Share potential economic spin offs of cruise tourism with lessons learned

Vanilla Islands speaks up at the PMAESA Meeting in Seychelles

The well-prepared presentation by Mr Viroleau showed the steps taken by the Indian Ocean Islands to grow cruise tourism in the Indian Ocean. His focus is to ensure that new cruise ship lines programmed for the Indian Ocean extend their season in the region and also to stay longer in the ports to allow more time for passengers to really appreciate the islands.

Pascal Viroleau also discussed the support being given to cruise shop companies that have become partners of the Indian Ocean Vanilla islands. The Comoros are today holding the Presidency of the Vanilla Islands. They took over from Mauritius last year after a very successful mandate held by the then Deputy Prime Minister Xavier-Luc Duval who was also Tourism Minister.

Emilie Lauret, the Communication and Events Coordinator of the Export Department from Reunion Region, was also present at the meeting.

Jean-Michel Pitot of Le Paradise Cove Boutique Hotel is a Mauritius success story

In his address, Jen-Michel Pitot said 5 years have already elapsed since Attitude Group took over the management of Paradise Cove. "We had already brought in special Attitude touches and our style of doing things. Our marketing and sales staff backed by our operations department moved fast to create the first Adult Only Boutique Hotel and the only one for Mauritius" Mr Pitot said before adding that they moved with the "You & Me" Signature approach and delivered to the expectations of their clientele.

"Paradise Cove Boutique Hotel is the fruit of Jean Marc Harel from the 90s. He was innovative and wanted to create something special. Today I want to pay homage to this great man who was brave but with a vision" Jean-Michel Pitot said.

The Paradise Cove Boutique hotel has 67 rooms, employs 164 Mauritians and has become a reference name for Mauritius in the category of Best Boutique Hotels. The property is today listed as a Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

Chris Smalling of Manchester United in Seychelles with new wife

The UK news site MailOnline has been on the ball publishing information about some of these famous sports personalities from the world of football. Seychelles as a rule, prides itself of privacy of these popular visitors but when Chris Smalling shared his summer holidays photos and videos from the beautiful Seychelles islands, news of the Manchester United defender Chris Smalling made news everywhere.

It is now confirmed that marrying his long-time partner Sam Cooke in Italy, Chris Smalling took his new wife for a special tropical honeymoon in the mid-ocean islands of the Seychelles where football remains the most popular sports and where Manchester United has a big following.

Chris Smalling has not tried to hide his chosen holiday destination and has been active on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter from his hotels in Praslin and La Digue Islands. He is reported to have some 2 million followers of Instagram and it is here that he posted many photos from his holidays in Seychelles. Pictures of him in the humble Mini Moke or on a bicycle on La Digue were seen by all his fans.

One lucky fan who took a souvenir photo with Chris Smalling and his wife was Travis Mills of La Digue who is a big fan of Manchester United.

Chris Smalling, who arrived at Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2010 followed in the footsteps of Spanish football star Alvaro Morata who plays for Real Madrid and who also honeymooned in Seychelles only weeks before Smalling

The powder-white sandy beaches, the warm turquoise blue seas of the islands that are always clean and clear, as well as the perfect climate, have given to Seychelles the tagline of the destination with perpetual summer. This continues to attract holiday makers and honeymooners to the islands.

Air Seychelles to suspend operations between Durban and Seychelles & announces charter flights from Beijing

The performance of the twice-weekly operation and its contribution to inbound tourism in the Seychelles did not meet company expectations.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said: “We have taken the tough decision to discontinue our Durban route as the volume of inbound traffic has fallen short of our expectations.

“Since being launched, the route has relied on travellers connecting to our Mumbai flight on the way to India, while point-to-point traffic demand to the Seychelles has been lower than anticipated.

“The competitive nature of the route and volume of alternative options paired with extremely low fares being charged on the Durban to India traffic flow unfortunately mean this is not a viable ongoing commercial operation for Air Seychelles.

“Whilst being a hard and unfortunate decision to have to take, Durban will continue to be served in conjunction with our key codeshare partner South African Airways who offer excellent connectivity between Johannesburg and Durban.”

Ambassador Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, said: “In the fast-moving aviation industry, a successful airline has to adapt quickly to changing market conditions, especially a boutique airline such as Air Seychelles.

“Tourism is the main engine of the Seychelles economy and, unfortunately, the Durban service did not produce the expected results in terms of supporting the growth of the industry.

“Our flag carrier will continue to fly to Johannesburg, the biggest city in South Africa, five times a week, to ensure our people, businesses and governments remain well-connected.”

Guests who have booked on flights to and from Durban’s King Shaka International Airport beyond 27th July 2017 will have to travel on Air Seychelles’ Johannesburg flights, which are operating as per normal schedule.

In addition, business and leisure travellers will still be able to travel easily from Durban to Seychelles via a short stop in Johannesburg, thanks to a codeshare agreement with South African Airways.

In the meantime, and on a positive note this time, Air Seychelles has confirmed that they will further boost connections from China with a series of non-stop charter flights between Beijing and Seychelles.The carrier will operate three return Airbus A330 services from the Chinese capital, as part of an agreement signed with a Chinese tour operator, Caissa.

Flights have been scheduled to depart Beijing on 27th September, 4th October and 11th October, and will provide convenient travel options to the Indian Ocean archipelago during the Golden Week national holidays, a traditionally busy travel period in China. Last year, up to half a billion Chinese nationals are estimated to have travelled domestically and overseas during the Golden Week celebrations.

The carrier’s Beijing service will complement the recently-announced charter flights from Chengdu, which Air Seychelles is set to operate in July and August. Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said: “Our Beijing charters have been designed to capture the travel demand out of China during the Golden Week holidays.

“Our A330 flights will provide Chinese holidaymakers with easy, non-stop access to one of the most beautiful island groups in the world. “These flights will have a positive impact on the local Seychelles economy and support the growth of inbound tourism numbers from China.”

Hope you have enjoyed this Issue #4. For those who missed previous Issues, you may find them on the links listed below for your convenience. We continue to republish on Linkedln, WhatsApp and Twitter links to International Newswires that reprinted our previous Issue – they are real friends; support them and work with them.

Below is the link to the launch edition / Edition 1:-

http://mailchi.mp/5496a1288436/saint-ange-tourism-report-2nd-edition-20311

Below is the link to Edition 2:-

http://mailchi.mp/bd63c28fd5e7/saint-ange-tourism-report-2nd-edition

Below is the link to Edition 3:-

http://mailchi.mp/d8fdec4a3213/saint-ange-tourism-report-3rd-edition

Google Saint Ange Tourism Report and see the exciting coverage we are getting.

The Saint Ange Tourism Report is a weekly publication that touches on tourism in Seychelles, the greater Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands and the surrounding Indian Ocean Countries as well as Global Tourism Matters as and when necessary.

The Report goes to the Business Community in Seychelles, Tour Operators and the Tourism Travel Trade, Airlines and is being reposted by several friendly and important newswires which will ensure a very wide global distribution.