Dubbed “The Road to Recovery” the strategy meeting was launched on March 24, 2021, from the STB Headquarters at Botanical House, Mt Fleuri in the presence of the Minister for Tourism and Foreign Affairs, Mr Sylvestre Radegonde.

The programme set to take place over a week was kicked off by Minister Radegonde’s speech followed by the strategy presentation of the STB Chief Executive, Mrs Sherin Francis.

The agenda to follow over the coming days will also feature the different market consultation meetings hosted by the Seychelles Tourism Board’s team overseas and will also include a panel discussion featuring various personalities discussing the future of the Seychelles tourism industry as the country tries to recover from the pandemic.

In his address, Minister Radegonde stated that although the industry is facing difficult times, there are indications of a steady recovery for Seychelles’ tourism.

“As we look ahead, we must be equally determined to pay attention to and further refine our industry’s business model to ensure that sustainability remains the bottom line of that industry. We must do all this and more to reclaim our tourism industry, without compromising on the health and safety of our people,” said Minister Radegonde.

In her presentation to the participants, Mrs Francis provided a global overview of the current state of the local tourism industry, commenting on the effects of the global uncertainties on this country’s economic sector.

She also explained in length how STB has made extensive use of market intelligence data to understand consumer behaviour and markets where there have been pent up demands. This has allowed the organisation to shift its focus to what she termed as the ‘go-to’ markets, acknowledging that Seychelles’ traditional markets would take longer to become stable because of restrictions that exist as a result of the evolution of the global pandemic situation.

Mrs Francis also pointed out that the STB would be refining its digital marketing tactics and accentuating the newly identified trends to target potential visitors even when they are in lockdown. She also stressed that it was equally important to consolidate relationships with both its local and international strategic partners.

Mrs Francis further explained that a big part of STB’s strategy for this year will be about delivering more impactful and targeted campaigns, working with key distribution partners.

“We will be embedding sustainability into our campaigns and activities, centred on the key sustainability themes of nature, culture, authenticity, and diversity,” She further stated.

Seychelles has been heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which cut tourism arrivals figures by 70%. The country started its road to recovery as of 25th March with the reopening of the border to all countries except for South Africa for the time being.