STB strengthens MICE ties in Meetings Arabia and Luxury Travel Congress |05 March 2020

Photo montage showing Seychelles’ participation at the MALT Congress in Dubai (Photo source: STB News Bureau)

In attendance in the region’s largest platform for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibition (MICE), the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) alongside 7° South, a specialist destinations management company (DMC) from Seychelles, joined in the Meetings Arabia and Luxury Travel (MALT) Congress, where the islands showcased its potential as a destination for business and luxury travel.

The MALT Congress, held in the gorgeous Rixos Premium JBR Hotel in Dubai, was a two-day event comprising talks, panels, and various opportunities for buyers and destinations representatives to connect and establish business relationships.

Representing the destination at the event, the STB representative in Dubai, Ahmed Fathallah, and Janet Rampal, assistant groups & incentive reservations manager of 7° South, took the opportunity to meet various clients in order to enlighten them about the Seychelles.

Presenting the islands as an ideal destination with direct air connectivity and only 4 hours away from the Middle East regions for business meetings and luxury travel, the team actively promoted the destination to various potential prominent buyers and organisations in the region.

During the meetings, discussions centered on MICE, key trends, sustainability and the many disruptors of business and luxury travel in the region, providing more insights on how to handle the Middle Eastern market.

A striking point mentioned during the discussion according to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), is that the Middle East is one of the smallest, yet fastest growing regions in the world, with outbound travel quadrupling in the last 20 years.

“Seychelles is a very popular romantic destination among this market and so over the years, it became somewhat of a ‘myth’ that the islands are just for honeymooners or weddings – albeit it really is a great romantic destination – but we are here to share with our trade partners that Seychelles is a great destination even for MICE and business travel. There are plenty of properties in Seychelles that cater to this market and we will continue to strengthen our partnerships with the region’s MICE experts,” mentioned Mr Fathallah.

The MALT Congress awarded a certificate of recognition to the STB for its support to the 8th Annual MALT Congress.

STB News Bureau