Seychelles High Commissioner Nourrice joined tourism CEO for South Africa press conference

The Seychelles High Commissioner in Pretoria, South Africa, Mr. Joseph Nourrice, joined Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Tourism Board CEO and eTurboNews ambassador; David Germain, the Seychelles tourism director for Africa & the Americas; and Deon Freemantle of Air Seychelles, South Africa, in addressing a press conference in Johannesburg last Monday.

A large Seychelles trade delegation interested in the South Africa Market were in South Africa for the annual Seychelles tourism workshop around the country. The launch of the 2010 workshop was marked by a press conference. David Germain, who opened conference, highlighted that the South Africa market was growing for Seychelles with a 23 percent growth on a year-to-date basis. Mr. Germain thanked all the South African press for their continued support and for the the ongoing partnership Seychelles was enjoying with the main South African tour operators. “South Africa is today regarded as the 5th most important market for Seychelles tourism, and this is because our country has become the favored destination for South Africans,” David Germain said.

High Commissioner Joseph Nourrice said that Seychelles valued the existing cooperation with South Africa. “As the islands High Commissioner for South Africa and also covering Comesa and the African Union, we know that our relationship can and will be further strenghtened. Thank you to the press and to the tour operators for supporting Seychelles, and we count on you all to be in Seychelles for our Carnaval 2011,” High Commissioner Nourrice said.

On taking the floor, the Seychelles Tourism CEO, Alain St.Ange, said that the Tourism Workshop that was being launched was not the first one to be organized in South Africa, but that it was the first under the new style of tourism launched for Seychelles by President Michel. “Our Seychelles brand of tourism is centered on people and will be working to get Seychelles to reclaim its tourism industry with Seychellois involved at all levels,” St.Ange said. The Tourism CEO spoke about the new grouping of press personalities launched by Seychelles at the island’s Economic Forum in Brussels, the “Friends of Seychelles – Press,” which he said reaffirmed the people-centered emphasis of the Seychelles brand of tourism.

“We wanted to recognize the person we call the press, and this person who sits behind a computer or camera filing articles and reports about our country,” St.Ange said. The USPs of Seychelles were retabled, and the launch of many new intiatives such as the participation of Seychelles at the recent Cape Town Boat Show and the new Golf & Wellness Festival being planned by a South African Golf Body.

The press conference was also the opportunity to bring out details of the Seychelles 2011 “Carnaval International de Victoria” and this received a lot of attention and raised many questions.

The Seychelles South African Workshop is a one-week affair around South Africa.