Seychelles’ tropical ambience spreads in Durban’s shopping mall
The
Seychelles Tourism Board South African office brought the lush Seychelles
atmosphere to Durban shoppers, through a week-long exhibition in the Gateway
Mall starting from Tuesday September 24th to Monday September 30th.
Gateway
is the most prominent shopping mall in Durban, and with the exhibition launch
being on Heritage Day, a public holiday, there was an immense traffic to the
stand.
The
Seychelles stand, situated on the ground floor next to the main entrance,
depicted a tropical beach scene with sun loungers where many visitors engaged
with the setting, snapping photos to capture the moment.
With
the STB team present, customers had the opportunity to enquire about the
destination and packages on offer.
The
STB office partnered with the Seychelles national carrier, Air Seychelles and
One Stop tour operator for this exhibition.
In
partnership with Air Seychelles, STB offered a 5-night holiday in the
Seychelles to customers who participated in a small quiz, where the winner was
picked after elimination.
The
Seychelles Tourism Board Director for South Africa, Mrs Lena Hoareau, when
commenting on the success of the event, said “Our biggest group were the
shoppers but also the revellers who had come for the entertainment. We also had
people who were on holiday from other countries and this was an opportunity to
update themselves on the destination and what it offers.”
Mrs
Hoareau expressed how Durban is an important catchment as they not only
targeting direct travellers but also the onward traffic bound for Mumbai.
One
Stop Tour operator, another of STB’s partners who helped promote the Island
Destination during the exhibition, is one of Air Seychelles’ top seller for the
Mumbai route. They provide hands-on information to travellers interested in
including the Seychelles to their travel itinerary.
Mrs.
Hoareau stressed the importance of further encouraging passengers connecting
with the Air Seychelles flight to Mumbai to stop over in the Seychelles for a
few days, as many only pass through for transit.
South
Africa remains a very important market for the Seychelles. With the increased
capacity of Air Seychelles’ A320neo, there is an expected growth in the number
of visitors on the route between Johannesburg and Mahe.
