Reunion Island Tourism’s annual meeting: New initiatives and awards

On the agenda of the annual Reunion Island Tourism (IRT) meeting was the presentation of the new offerings and initiatives aimed to increase traffic for the island, accounts for the past year, and the

On the agenda of the annual Reunion Island Tourism (IRT) meeting was the presentation of the new offerings and initiatives aimed to increase traffic for the island, accounts for the past year, and the awards ceremony for outstanding partner agencies, followed by the proposed action plan for 2016 with special attention to the event, Alon Bat ‘Karé!®.

Reunion Island Tourism has hosted forty local tourism professionals on the occasion of the annual meeting of partner agencies of the Regional Booking Platform. The participating partner agencies and accommodation providers were welcomed by Mr. François Boyer, President of the Marketing Club, who was invited for the meeting. After a short introduction of those present and welcoming the new partners, the Head of the Information & Marketing Division in ESRD, Ms. Isabelle Nativel, then spoke.

The new offerings:

These are nine new tourist products (excluding accommodation) and six new facilities that are now available via the Regional Booking Platform. Among them are two gîtes, classified three-stars (Sainte-Suzanne) and two home-stay locations (Little Island), as well as classified three-stars which will open their doors in the month of March 2016. Six new projects should also come online by 2017. Also, last year, five AGGM hiking houses were rehabilitated.

Also announced was a number to remember: in the space of seven years, the advance of the business volume of B&Bs on Citybreak grew by a staggering 159%!

Also on the agenda was the requirement to elect two new representatives of the partners Marketing Club of ESRD in the presence of the President of the IRT, Patrick Serveaux. After Johan Millet Mille Tours, Stéphane Ravry Reunion Connections and Clement Ailloud Horizon Reunion represented their profession within the Club committee.

The results of the competition for award winners among partner agencies in 2015 were also announced.

The agencies Mille Tours and Horizon Reunion were rewarded for the best turnover and the best progress respectively.

The trophy for best progression was given to the agency Horizon Meeting.

As for sellers, Claudine Melot (Thousand Towers) won the award for best turnover, and Clement Ailloud (Horizon Réunion) for the most improved.

Clement Ailloud received the trophy for best progression.

The afternoon session of the meeting was devoted mainly to incoming agencies and various topics were discussed:

– presentation about the Vanilla Pass by Laurent Settama;

– an update on educational tours;

– planned actions through the Club Rn2D group and the partnership of the National Agency for Holiday Cheques (ANCV); and

– the presentation of the Rallye Mascarun 2016.

On the subject of familiarization tours, a full set of data was provided for the participants, among them:

52 educational tours were organized, 12 multi voyages of discovery tour operators, and 37 via the incoming travel agencies, and no less than 561 travel agents received information and training on how best to sell Reunion Island.

French market:
Number of educational tours: 22
Number of travel agents trained: 350

European market: Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, England
Number of educational tours: 13
Number of travel agents trained: 136

Indian Ocean market: China, South Africa, Russia
Number of educational tours: 14
Number of travel agents trained 48

Focus on Rally Mascarun 2016

For both events, the eductour challenge and inter-network of travel agencies, the second edition of the Rally Mascarun will bring in 24 travel agents and tour company representatives from key markets like France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany.

The teams of four professionals each will come in a few months to Reunion Island in order to develop their knowledge of the tourism offerings the island avails to visitors.

After discussing some other business for the rest of the year, Ms. Isabelle Nativel and Mr. François Boyer then closed the meeting.

Are you a tourism provider and you want more information about the Regional Platform Booking? Click here to email.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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