Seychelles brings a tropical twist to the International Mediterranean Tourism Market |29 February 2020

Highlights of Seychelles’ participation at the IMTM (Photo source: STB News Bureau)

The Seychelles islands graced the Israeli city of Tel Aviv with its vibrant presence at the 26th International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) from February 11, 2020.

Several representatives of the archipelago were present at the event – Monette Rose, director for Italy, Turkey, Greece, Israel and the Mediterranean on the behalf of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB); Air Seychelles’ Israeli representative Amit Clayton and Anastasia Zelkova on behalf of Savoy Resort and Spa.

The Seychelles designated stand attracted participants and visitors with illustrations of the Islands’ exotic environment through images of the unique boulders, crystal clear waters, unsoiled beaches and lush vegetation.

The annual event, which took place at the Expo Tel Aviv in the presence of 265 exhibitors and potential holidaymakers, was a perfect opportunity for the Seychelles delegation to meet key industry players in the region for networking and increasing the destination’s visibility in the Mediterranean market.

Mrs Rose extensively provided information about the Seychelles as the perfect holiday destination offering a diverse range of activities for holidaymakers with direct air connectivity.  

“STB’s first participation at the IMTM was crucial for tapping into this promising market. According to our market intelligence gathered regarding the travel trends in the region, 70% of Israelis went on vacation overseas at least once during 2018 representing an increase of 20% compared to 2017. The IMTM presented a unique opportunity to reach at one go tour operators, travel agents, corporate partners, individual travellers and potentially new trade partners,” said Mrs Rose.

She further mentioned that since its adoption of the ‘Open Skies’ agreement with the EU, Israel has seen a wave of airline companies bringing over 20 million travellers through the Ben Gurion Airport. With this steady growth of incoming and outbound travel, more and more locals are encouraged to travel and discover new destinations.

The Israeli market holds great prospect for the Island destination especially after the introduction of direct flights operated by the national carrier, Air Seychelles, in November 2019.

STB News Bureau