The Indian Ocean’s nest of love and romance wins World’s Romantic Destination for 2022
It is the season of love all year round in the Seychelles, once again taking home the title of the World’s Most Romantic Destination for the third consecutive year at the 29th World Travel Awards.
Receiving the accolade is a reflection of the destination’s irresistible appeal for honeymooners and couples that flock to Seychelles seeking their long-awaited fairy-tale-like vacation. Given that Seychelles was just rated the #1 honeymoon destination in the Indian Ocean, it is not surprising that the archipelago is one of the most romantic places on earth.
The country’s breathtaking, zealously conserved surroundings draw tourists to snorkel in the crystal-clear waters, stroll through the evergreen forests, and scale impressive granitic boulders. It is the ideal getaway for couples wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. After all, who wouldn’t want to be basking in love on the shores of a tropical paradise?
Acknowledging the award, Mrs Sherin Francis extended her gratitude and appreciation to all the partners who have paved the way for such a notable achievement. Speaking on the efforts it took to maintain this title for the third consecutive year, Mrs Francis explained how Seychelles as a destination is constantly working on providing excellence to the visitors.
World Travel Awards TM gala ceremonies were established in 1993
The World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony took place on November 11th, 2022, at Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Muscat, Oman. The Gala ceremony also honoured the resurgence of global tourism after a non-stop strife to return to pre-crisis standards. The World Travel Awards TM gala ceremonies are regarded as one of the most prestigious award events around the world, celebrating and rewarding excellence in key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.
“Dream archipelago” honoured during the 19th edition of the IViaggiatori
During the 19th edition of IViaggiatori, the Swiss International Holiday Exhibit in Lugano, Switzerland, Seychelles won the Swiss Tourism Awards-2022 for Top Destination.
The exhibition ran from Saturday October 29th, to Tuesday November 1st. The IViaggiotori sees around 20.000 visitors annually, with up to 150 exhibitors representing various destinations and promoting their products.
Tourism Seychelles’ marketing director for Switzerland, Ms Judeline Edmond, said she was surprised to receive the award while she exhibited at the Seychelles stand. Engraved on the award is a beautiful tribute written in Italian, dedicating to the islands – “A dream archipelago with turquoise sea and coral reefs that confirms itself as one of the most famous destinations.”
This is Seychelles’ second time participating in the travel fair and it went exceptionally well, as stated by Ms Edmond. “The fair aims to push more focus on the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. It was successful for Seychelles as I received a lot of queries about the destination in general, such as geographical location, climate, environment and current sustainability programmes. It was great to know that there was a lot of bookings already initiated for November 2022 to june 2023,” said Ms Edmond.
Winning this honour is particularly noteworthy as Seychelles is not only acknowledged for the splendour that it holds but the other aspects that make the destination a worthwhile visit. It is also reassuring to know that Seychelles’ sustainability efforts in terms of tourism are not going unnoticed.
The destination has been very vocal on its conservation and protection endeavours both on local and international scenes. Winning this award furthers Seychelles’ visibility in that aspect and broadens the scope of what the destination has to offer.
Tourism Seychelles draws crowds at World Travel Market London 2022
It was a successful event for Seychelles at the 43rd edition of the World Travel Market London, held from Monday 7th November to Wednesday 9th November, at ExCel in London.
The Seychelles Islands with only a 100 square meter wooden stand bearing simple rustic and green decor, made quite an effect on the crowds. Its concept represented the authentic and lush essence of the destination.
During the 3-day event, the Seychelles’ stand remained busy, with the participants holding daily meetings with trade partners, big international buyers and representatives of other markets while engaging potential buyers. Present on the stand for the event, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Mr Sylvestre Radegonde and the Director General for Destination Marketing, Bernadette Willemin, met with several key partners, including the international media partners.
The delegation was also composed of Tourism Seychelles’ Director for the UK and Ireland territory, Ms Karen Confait, the Senior Officer from Tourism Seychelles headquarters, Mrs. Lizanne Moncherry and Ms Marie-Julie Stephen, Senior PR officer also based at Botanical House.
Minister Radegonde and Mrs Willemin maximised the destination’s presence at the event to enhance the visibility of Seychelles. They attended various meetings with strategic partners looking at reinforcing cooperation between Seychelles and media collaborators interested in promoting the destination on their respective platforms.
The Tourism Minister was also interviewed by seven media, in the likes of BBC, CNBC International and Travel Mole, amongst others. He extensively engaged the various media on the new strategies of the destination to revamp its tourism industry. Also, he reaffirmed the destination’s commitment to sustainability and green tourism. He further mentioned some of the projects started, notably the ‘Lospitalite’ service excellence programme and the cultural experience project, which is being finalised for implementation.
Speaking at the event, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the event. “Our participation was an exceptional occasion for Seychelles as a destination to be more visible, not only on the UK market but also for other European countries. It is such a pride for a small destination like Seychelles to stand next to the giants of the travel world and still know that as a destination, we remain relevant in the way we conduct our business”, said Minister Radegonde.
On her part, the Director General for Destination Marketing stated that there is still a great demand for the destination. This was witnessed by the great flow of meeting requests and appointments recorded by partners.
Cover photo author: © Christian Cacciamani from Unsplash
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