STB chief sets sights on 145,000 tourists |04 February 2006

In addition to setting a new record for the number of tourist arrivals Mr Lousteau-Lalanne also said that he is hoping to see the average daily visitor spend increase from R375 to over R425.

Speaking to journalists at the STB offices in Bel Ombre, for the first time since replacing Sylvestre Radegonde as Executive Chairman of STB, Mr Lousteau-Lalanne said that he will be following the same course as his predecessor.

“The marketing strategy that was elaborated during the meeting here in late 2005 will be implemented with maybe one or two small adjustments as we go along,” he said.

“I am a known figure in tourism, certainly a lot of the trade partners are the same (as when he last worked in tourism in 1998) so I am a known quantity. I can only hope that I can build on what Mr Radegonde has done,” he added.

Mr Lousteau-Lalanne said that one of his targets for STB will be to shed Seychelles’ reputation as an exclusively five-star destination.

“The black and white branding and the positioning of Seychelles for the last three or four years or maybe longer has given the perception that Seychelles is extremely expensive,” he said.

He said that work would continue to raise both the exposure and standard of the country’s none five star establishments.

“The intention for 2006 is to make sure that 100% of what exists in terms of accommodation is brought up to standard in each of the different categories that they have chosen to place themselves,” he said.

 “What we want to achieve is more visitors spending more money and going back happy with the idea of coming back to Seychelles.”

In addition to Sylvestre Radegonde two other STB employees have left the parastatal since the announcement of the changes in leadership.

Mr Lousteau-Lalanne said that he will examine the capabilities of the STB staff before deciding on any reorganisation, but is already looking for suitably qualified people to fill the roles of general manager of the marketing and tourism development departments.
Although he is yet to hold a full meeting with tourism trade representatives, Mr Lousteau-Lalanne said that he intends to work closely with the travel industry, and pointed to the current Chikugunya outbreak as an area in which coordination is needed.

Mr Lousteau-Lalanne said that the Ministry of Health is sending a press release to all of STB’s “tourism partners” informing them of the situation in the country and the measures tourists can take to avoid contracting the fever during their stay.

He said that tourists are being advised to pack mosquito repellent as well as the usual sun screen before leaving home for Seychelles.