• LUXURY TRAVEL
Seychelles is encouraging visitors to explore beyond their resort
Seychelles Tourism Board CEO Vesna Rakić sets out her priorities for higher-value tourism, stronger GCC engagement, and protecting the islands’ distinctive appeal Value beyond volume Q: As the new Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) CEO, what are your
immediate priorities for the destination and where do you see the greatest opportunities to enhance the tourism proposition? My immediate priority is to listen, bring the different parts of the tourism system together and support the board as we
Seychelles is a premium destination because of the destination itself, with diverse ways of experiencing it, from guesthouses and self-catering accommodation to boutique hotels, villas, luxury resorts and private islands We must also strengthen partnerships and market intelligence. STB’s role is to help create and strengthen demand, working with airlines, the travel trade and tourism partners to support connectivity and connect travellers with the full range of Seychelles experiences on offer. Q: How do you envisage Seychelles’ tourism industry evolving over the next few years? Growth must create greater value for
Seychelles while protecting the qualities that make people want to visit us. Visitor numbers remain important to our tourism economy and aviation viability, but they cannot be our only measure of success. We should also consider earnings, length of stay, visitor spend, seasonality, repeat travel and how widely tourism benefits are distributed. Encouraging visitors to explore beyond their accommodation – to experience different islands, local restaurants, nature, Creole culture, art and community-based experiences – enables more tourism value to remain within the country. Our direction is higher value and lower impact. This is not about excluding volume or making Seychelles inaccessible. It is about attracting the right balance of visitors, strengthening year-round
establish the strategic direction for the re-established Seychelles Tourism Board. Operationally, we must remain
Vesna Rakić , CEO, Seychelles Tourism Board
responsive to present market andaviation conditions while beginning to align our marketing priorities for the years ahead. The opportunity is to communicate Seychelles more fully. We are celebrated for our beaches, romance and honeymoons, but our appeal is much broader: nature, Creole culture and cuisine, wellness, adventure, marine experiences, island-hopping and the freedom to explore.
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