Réunion’s travel industry professionals gear up for Air Austral’s imminent return to Seychelles |30 November 2021

The session in full swing

Réunion’s travel industry professionals have been getting up to speed on Seychelles ahead of Air Austral’s imminent return to the islands.

The two-day ‘petit déjeuner de formation’ sessions, organised by the Tourism Seychelles team in La Réunion in collaboration with Air Austral on November 17 and 19, 2021 took place in the town of Saint Denis and St Gilles in the wake of Air Austral’s welcome announcement of the resumption of their weekly flight to Seychelles on December 19, 2021.

Heads of product and directors of the island’s travel trade companies came together for refresher training sessions on the destination’s selling points, Covid-19 health entry requirements, stay conditions for travellers as well as a brief on product developments within the destination since the re-opening of Seychelles border.

The sessions, conducted by Bernadette Honore, Tourism Seychelles’ senior marketing executive in La Réunion, aimed to build up momentum and interest among the French department’s travel trade decision makers as well as building up confidence in the destination ahead of the flights to Seychelles next month.

“Throughout this pandemic, we have been continuously updating travel trade professionals on the destination, especially in regards to the Covid-19 health regulations and stay conditions for travellers. Having a one-to-one contact with La Réunion travel trade’s decision makers helps to rebuild the relationships, which our business entails, and mostly importantly, to instill their confidence to sell. Travel trade professionals are key partners in increasing airline load factors. Gaining their commitment to restart sales to Seychelles at this point in time is crucial for the destination and a rebound of visitor traffic from La Réunion to Seychelles,” said Ms Honore.

Air Austral representatives were also present during the two sessions, showcasing the airline’s new fleet of aircraft assigned to regional routes including Seychelles and encouraging the professionals present to push sales to the Seychelles.

Both sessions were animated with questions, especially about the health and entry requirements and stay conditions for travellers.

At the end of the sessions, La Réunion’s travel trade professionals expressed their satisfaction with having received adequate information to not only pass on to their clientèle, but most importantly, give them the reassurance to travel to Seychelles.

The training sessions are part of marketing activities organised by Tourism Seychelles in Réunion. Televised spots will also be aired. The resumption of flights on December 19 will also provide opportunities for residents of the sister Vanilla Island to travel to Seychelles to join cruise vessels sailing within the archipelago’s waters and to explore the Inner and Outer Islands.

To note that 5,791 visitors from La Réunion visited the Seychelles in 2019 prior to the pandemic.

Press release from Tourism Seychelles