Originally built in 1840 and last renovated in 1999, the Victoria Market is a historic site that beautifully blends traditional and modern Seychellois life. The temporary venue will offer modern amenities, including air conditioning, improved drainage, and enhanced pest control measures to maintain cleanliness and safety. To ensure the market continues to serve the community during the renovation period, operations will temporarily relocate to the former STC Supermarket in Victoria.

The Agriculture Department is currently working to prepare the new location, conducting a structural evaluation and setting up vendor spaces to ensure a smooth transition. While the former STC Supermarket will not undergo major structural changes, necessary adjustments will be made to improve air circulation and address fire safety concerns. These measures aim to minimise disruption and maintain the market’s high standards of hygiene and operational efficiency.

Despite the change in location, the vibrant atmosphere and welcoming spirit of the vendors will remain unchanged. Shoppers can expect the same level of personal interaction and quality of produce they have always enjoyed. The dedication and personality of the vendors, along with the market’s commitment to excellence, will continue to shine through, ensuring a familiar and welcoming experience.

After years of dedicated service, the Tourism Department bids farewell to David Germain, our esteemed Director of Marketing for Africa, and the Americas. David has played a pivotal role in our team, significantly contributing to our marketing endeavours and overall success.

David boasts an impressive 40-year career in the industry. He started his journey at Travel Services Seychelles (TSS) before joining Creole Travel Services in 2005 following the merger of TSS and Creole Holidays. His expertise led him to overseas postings in Africa, where he oversaw the markets of Zambia and Botswana.

It was in 2006, Seventeen years ago that David joined the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), now the Tourism Department, where he spearheaded business operations for Africa. Later, he assumed the added responsibility of the Americas and served as the Regional Director for Africa & the Americas. During his tenure, he successfully implemented the department’s marketing strategies, notably promoting Seychelles as a premier island holiday destination for American and African travellers.

Reflecting on his career, David Germain remarked, “The tourism industry is a people’s industry, and it has allowed me to meet many people of different nationalities. I have had the opportunity to travel to different countries, make numerous new friends, explore diverse cultures and lifestyles, and develop my social skills while expanding my knowledge.”

With David’s departure, the Tourism Department announced that Ms Christine Vel, Market Manager, will take on additional responsibilities of marketing operations throughout Africa, starting immediately. For North American-related inquiries, partners are requested to contact Senior Marketing Executive, Mrs Natacha Servina.

Commenting on his retirement, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde expressed his appreciation for the invaluable contribution David has made towards the industry through his seventeen years in that role and wish him all the best in his retirement.

Additionally, Mrs Bernadette Willemin, Director General for Destination Marketing, stated, “David remains an inspiration for all marketers. His contributions to the industry are immeasurable. We will remember him fondly as a cheerful individual and a remarkable colleague.”

The management of the Tourism Department also extends its sincere gratitude for his unwavering commitment and wishes him a fulfilling retirement.

About Tourism Seychelles

Tourism Seychelles is the official destination marketing organisation for the Seychelles Islands. Committed to showcasing the islands’ unique natural beauty, cultural heritage, and luxurious experiences, Tourism Seychelles plays a pivotal role in promoting Seychelles as a premier travel destination worldwide.

The news, much anticipated by the tourism industry, was announced by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Mr Sylvestre Radegonde during a joint press brief with his counterpart from the Health Ministry, Mrs Peggy Vidot on Thursday, January 14, 2021. 

The review follows the recent launch of the immunisation campaign in the small island nation. The campaign expected to have just under three quarters of the local adult population vaccinated by mid- March 2021. 

With immediate effect, Seychelles will be welcoming vaccinated visitors from any part of the world.

The announcement was made by the STB chief executive Sherin Francis in the presence of Bernadette Willemin, STB regional director for Europe, Bernadette Honoré, the STB representative in Reunion – who initiated the project with the support of Christian Hamer and Veronique Victor (directors of the trail) – and various partners on-board to make the project a success in Seychelles next year.

The partners for the SNT project alongside the STB will include the Seychelles National Sports Council (NSC), the Seychelles National Park Authority (SNPA), Air Mauritius, Seychelles Breweries, ABSA ( Barclays Bank), Cable and Wireless and Skychef.

Launched in Reunion in September, this first edition of Seychelles Nature Trail (SNT) adds to the prestige of the destination as a multifaceted one. The SNT aims at further promoting the archipelago’s concept of green tourism as well as enticing potential visitors’ to the discovery of Seychelles’ rich biodiversity.

The 25km trail which will be competed on Mahé on 3 May 2020 will be starting in the region of Port-Glaud round Anse Major, through the well-known hiking routes including the Mont Le Niol and Congo Rouge area finishing at Grand Anse.

The event plans on attracting and engaging nature sports enthusiast in the region and across the globe to Seychelles, as well as a concept for Seychellois competitors.

Speaking at the event, Francis expressed her satisfaction to add another event to the destination’s profile on the international level: “The SNT event projects the destinations towards an adventure that will open great doors for the destination, we have seen how big in publicity the recent trail event,Diagonale des Fous which closed a few days ago to our fellow islanders in Reunion. We can only anticipate great participation from the region.”

A series of activities are being organized as part of the campaign to provide more visibility and awareness about destination Seychelles and Air Seychelles across various media platforms.

The campaign which commenced on Monday, 20th of August already and includes an interactive radio campaign with HOT 91.9FM, an award winning radio station broadcasting in Johannesburg North and surrounding areas.

STB together with Air Seychelles and the Constance Hotels are currently hosting an online quiz on HOT91.9FM on a weekly basis providing listeners with the opportunity to participate in a competition to win tickets for an exciting 7 days holiday with accommodation in the Seychelles.

Representatives from the Seychelles Tourism Office, Air Seychelles and Constance Hotels in Johannesburg will also be giving out live interviews every Fridays over the course of the one-month campaign, to talk about the destination to entice more consumers to take part in the competition.

Charles Johnson, Chief Commercial Officer of Air Seychelles said: “We are delighted to join the Seychelles Tourism Board and to be part of the exciting “Seychelles Month” campaign. South Africa is an important source of inbound tourism for Seychelles. We recently added a sixth weekly flight between Seychelles and Johannesburg on Tuesdays, and added over 10 additional flights during the upcoming year-end holidays to meet peak demand.”

Lena Hoareau, Director South Africa for STB said: “Seychelles remains a destination of choice for South Africans and through the ‘Seychelles Month’ campaign, we aim to reach a larger segment of the market. The radio campaign will feature during peak times in the morning which means people will be listening to the radio from their cars on the way to work or within their homes and work places. We believe this will create a lot of buzz and initiate massive interest in the destination, especially since there is a free holiday up for grabs.”

The ban was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in early June and will include straws used in cocktails and other drinks. However, the ban will exempt plastic straws attached to juice packets.

A provisional study conducted in 2016 found that plastic waste makes up nearly 30% of all waste of Seychelles’ landfills. Additionally, the Seychelles government reports it is spending hundreds of millions of rupees on solid waste management for de-littering rivers and marshes from all types of waste including plastics.

In September 2016, the Cabinet announced that it will join the likes of Rwanda, Bangladesh and Madagascar in implementing a ban on the use and importation of items such plastic bags, cups, cutlery and Styrofoam packaging in an effort to cut down on waste in the Seychelles, which will now be extended to single use plastic straws.

“Retailers have been given to January 2019 to use their existing stock of plastic straws,” says Nanette Laure, Director General at the Waste Enforcement and Permit Division of the Department of Environment.

“We are going to start an intensive education programme as we also need to present importers with alternatives rather than just stating that we are imposing a ban,” she adds.

Laure says that there are alternatives such as those made with bamboo and paper which could be imported and that despite the alternatives being more expensive, it will have a long-term benefit, as it will cost less to remove it in the environment.

The Waste Enforcement and Permit Division of the Department of Environment will now draft regulations that will guide the ban just like the one imposed on plastic bags.

Lena Horeau, PR Manager for the Seychelles Tourism Board adds that while it Seychelles’ drive to go plastic-free initially seemed like an impossible task, the Seychelles has been quick to come up with creative solutions with some even finding opportunity in the decision.

“Some of these initiatives includes the manufacturing of biodegradable carrier bags and importing biodegradable takeaway boxes, cutlery, cake boxes and paper bags.”

“While there has been some cost implication to consumables, most residents and even visitors have agreed that it is a small price to pay in conserving the island destination,” says Horeau.

The website, which offers a new design, look and feel took 18 months to develop, and now also offers a host of new features.

Digital marketing director at the board, Vihad Jacob, said that the new website has three main sections. “Discover, Plan your Visit and Explore. These are providing visitors with information on everything they need to know about the destination from its geography, climate, history, accommodations, airlines, and destination management companies,” said Jacob.

Jacob said that visitors can use the website to find other activities that they can do in Seychelles — a group of islands in the western Indian Ocean. “We have also provided itinerary ideas and also how to get around which are all very beneficial to our visitors,” he said.

According to Jacob the site is a fully responsive website and can adapt to any screen size, thus making it mobile friendly. It also contains an interactive map, on which visitors can get the exact location of all listings on the map.

“The newly redesigned interactive gallery features an image library, immersive 3360-degree photos and videos, destination videos, wallpapers and even the option to send a greeting card from Seychelles,” said Jacob.

The new website is replacing the existing one which has been online for the past four years. It is complementing the Seychelles Tourism Board’s corporate website which was launched last year, making the board one of the few tourism boards in Africa to have a suite of completely responsive websites.

South African visitor arrivals to the Seychelles has increased by 15% year on year for the year ending 2017, ranking the country as the sixth best source market for the island destination.

According to the latest statistics released by the Seychelles Tourism Board, 2017 saw a total of 14,203 visit the Seychelles, compared to 12,354 visitors in 2016.

According to David Germain, Director – South Africa & The Americas Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), arrivals captured from South Africa as a source market stood at 12 039 in the first week of December, compared to 10 443 at the same time last year.

“Throughout 2017, Seychelles as a choice destination for South African travellers gained even more traction through new exposure channels, specifically TV, with the broadcast of Tropica Island of Treasure (TIOT), as well as various other TV programmes hosted by local South African celebrities and conservation teams, as well as bloggers,” says David.

According to David, these channels opened the destination up to market sectors which previously may not have considered Seychelles as a holiday destination.

He also adds that STB is anticipating even greater growth in interest in the Seychelles in 2018.

The breakdown of the top six source markets for the visitor arrivals for 2017 are as follows: