(Posted 16th October 2026)
Developing trips combining Reunion Island and Madagascar, then extending the approach to other Vanilla Islands destinations: this is the goal of discussions between the Regional Council of Reunion and the National Tourism Office of Madagascar (ONTM).
Following up on discussions initiated during the IFTM Top Resa trade show, which took place from September 15 to 17, 2026, in Paris, Wilfrid Bertile, regional councillor delegated to regional co-development and external relations, received Mirana Rasanjison, President of the Board of Directors of the ONTM.
Dedicated notably to the development of combined stays between the two islands, this meeting opens prospects for cooperation with the four other Vanilla Islands destinations: Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, and Mayotte.
With Madagascar, strengthening ties through tourism
The Regional Council of La Reunion already maintains cooperative relations with Madagascar, particularly in the Boeny region, in the fields of agriculture and training. Tourism constitutes an additional lever to strengthen these ties and develop projects with shared benefits.
Combined stays fit into this logic: highlighting the complementary assets of the destinations within a single trip, rather than addressing them solely separately. The goal is to enrich the visitor experience while fostering economic benefits for the various territories and their industry professionals.
Female travelers and new itineraries: two avenues to explore further
Discussions focused in particular on two avenues proposed by tour operators: combined stays reserved for female travelers and new itineraries notably integrating Sainte-Marie or Mahajanga, taking advantage of the possibilities offered by regional air connections.
These proposals remain to be explored further with industry professionals. They are intended to diversify the offered experiences, meet new traveler expectations, and strengthen the attractiveness of the associated destinations.
Starting in 2027, bringing together the teams from the six destinations
To prepare these new offers, the Regional Council of Reunion supports the idea of initiating, starting in 2027, working meetings between the technical teams of the tourism offices and committees of the six destinations.
The first step will be to get to know each other better: discovering the offerings of each territory, sharing best practices and know-how, and bringing working methods closer together. These exchanges should make it possible to collectively identify the inter-island stays to be developed and the cooperation necessary for their creation.
