New website launched for budget-conscious travellers |27 September 2016

A new website intended for holiday dreamers who want to visit Seychelles on a budget has been launched.

The website named ‘Seychelles on a Budget’, is also aimed at small tourism related businesses who want to market their products and services on the local and international market.

The website, which can be accessed at www.soabc.sc, was launched yesterday at the Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles (Ceps) conference room at Orion Mall.

It will be available online later on this week.

It was Roddy Philoe, the site’s owner, who did the launching while administrators are DevPlus which specialises in website and software development, hosting, computer repairs, networking and database solutions, graphic design and public relations and marketing.

The website provides a wide range of information on accommodation, transportation and local activities.

It is mainly targeting backpackers, meaning visitors like students for example who are on a one or two-day short stay and low income earners who are seeking cheap accommodation.

Explaining the features and functions of the website, Mr Philoe said it has an online booking feature that will enable potential visitors to book for a service before they arrive in Seychelles.

“The website is to do with any small business in Seychelles that has to do with tourism. We are directly concentrating on accommodation and activities that have to do with booking itself. As we know Seychelles is trying its best to capture the international market and small tourism related businesses are finding it difficult to break through from the bigger businesses and five-star hotels, so ‘Seychelles on a Budget’ speaks for itself,” said Mr Philoe.

He remarked that visitors will be able to choose from a number of activities including bird watching, nature walks, diving, fishing, cooking classes and many more on any of the islands of Seychelles.

Small businesses will be able to register and manage their own space on the website and give them more flexibility in what they want to communicate to their potential clients.

“Small businesses in Seychelles will benefit from the website which will give them the opportunity to earn more money and compete with 5-star businesses. It will also help them put their skills and expertise into practice. This will boost the tourism industry and promote Seychelles as a holiday destination for visitors with different financial needs,” he said.

Mr Philoe said registration is free of charge. Clients to the site can also have their own profile page where they can themselves advertise their accommodation online. But he assured them they will get assistance on how to manage it. They can also manage their own booking online well in advance.

Reassuring potential clients on the credibility of ‘Seychelles on a Budget’, Mr Philoe urged potential clients to use the website as he said it is internationally secured; it offers safe payment method; it has worldwide visibility and offers simplicity and quality.

The website, he explained, takes 20% commission per booking and Mr Philoe advised clients to consider that when charging their bookings or other services.

As for marketing, ‘Seychelles on a Budget” plans to have stand out links on the current www.seychelles.travel website of the Seychelles Tourism Board; advertise on social media like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and at flight international centres like in Australia and Europe, to name some.

DevPlus is situated at Anse Royale and can be reached on +248 273643; email project@seydevplus.com and website www.seydevplus.com

As for Mr Philoe he is available at roddyphiloe@yahoo.com or mobile +248 2586299.