VANILLA ISLAND ORGANIZATION SIGNS MOU WITH CONSTANCE HOTELS
(Posted 30th October 2013)
The Reunion based Vanilla Island Organization, the formation of which was announced in September alongside the UNWTO Conference on Sustainable Tourism Developments on small island states, has yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Constance Hotels in the Seychelles capital of Victoria. The accord covers various areas of cooperation, especially important as Constance Hotels has resorts on several of the Vanilla Islands, such as the Seychelles – the Ephelia on Mahe and the Lemuria on Praslin – but also on Madagascar, Mauritius and the youngest member country of the VIO, the Maldives.
Key among the agreed points is that Constance Hotels will offer free accommodation and meals to the Vanilla Island Organization when they bring in the travel trade for fam trips and the media to report about the islands’ attractions and cover special events like this week’s Festival Kreol.
Airlines flying to and within the islands too have indicated their willingness to play their part in bringing the travel trade and journalists to the islands, as seen this week when Air Seychelles brought in a large number of media personnel from as far as Europe to Mahe, in conjunction with partner Etihad, while also flying in the delegations from Reunion, Mauritius and journalists from as far as South Africa, who came to the Seychelles for the Festival Kreol, one of the Vanilla Island Organization’s annual calendar events.
A new logo is expected to be launched next week at the World Travel Market in London for the Vanilla Island Organization, and a major press conference will also be held at the trade fair under the auspices of the UN World Tourism Organization, when the formal launch of VIO will be announced and key personnel like their CEO, Pascale Viroleau and their Director of Marketing, Derek Savy be introduced to the global travel trade. Watch this space.
