By: Alain St.Ange, Editor of the monthly E-News & Vice Chairman of the Tourism Association
THE Seychelles Tourism Industry has this year launched its own electronic newsletter under the title “The Seychelles Tourism Industry Speaks…
E-News. The decision to launch a dedicated tourism industry newsletter was taken by the 2008 Executive Committee of the country’s Tourism Industry, to primarily ensure that the Members of the Industry had an avenue available to them to promote themselves to Overseas Tour Operators and to Travel Agents selling the Seychelles. It was felt that Industry Members were the best people to tell its partners about its own industry.
The promotion of Members new initiatives and their developments remain the main reason for having the Industry’s E-News, but a second and as important a reas
on, is the ability to pass on information on decisions affecting the industry and to echo the industry’s comments on any such matters as and when they happened.The industry accepts that it was taken by surprise by The Plantation Club Resort & Casino’s episode, and the industry knows that it had no dedicated avenue at its disposal to respond, when such a decision that was having, and that would continue to have a major impact on the country’s
Tourism Industry was taken. Tourism is a fragile industry, and the Executive Committee of its Association is aware of the responsibilities that rest on its shoulders to defend its industry and its own livelihood, and at the same time, defend the Country’s Economy. It is exactly for that reason that decisions taken that will impact negatively on the industry’s survival, and on the industry’s consolidation, will now see the reaction from the Industry’s Representatives through its own publication. An Industry’s Body is always heard, and its message is always well received, which is why the Association is conscious that comments aired in the E-News will be taken up by Overseas Press and Organizations looking at our country and at its economic situation. The ongoing support for the Industry, seen as the ‘Pillar of the country’s economy’, received by the Overseas and Local Press has given confidence to the Management of the Association’s Secretariat that appeals must always be made to the Government when new measures, negatively impacting on the industry, are brought out.
The Editorial Committee of the Association overseeing the publication of the Industry’s E-News is satisfied that after only the third issue of their publication, the Association has established itself as the main voice for the industry as a whole, and as a vital link between the players on the local scene and all interested parties, in Seychelles and Overseas. This is why the Association spends time when deciding on articles and news items that are to be included in the E-News, and it is why the Association has been conscious to also include a Government’s message or statement when possible. The Tourism Industry was honored when Vice President, Joseph Belmont made an official statement in one of the last issue of the E-News, in his capacity as the Minister responsible for the Tourism Industry. It was a well received statement that set the tone for future of the country’s Tourism Industry. It must be noted that Mr Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Tourist Board also published a statement in one of the E-News past issues on the new developments already cleared by the Government. This ensured that the local tourism industry and the public as well were kept informed of what was happening, but also it ensured that all the overseas Tour Operators got an overview of the expected developments in the country. Mr Loustau-Lalanne statement also ensured that foreign Press working on articles have updated their information notes about the country. The Association knows that the official articles were seen and were noticed because of the response received, and because of the questions that came in following the publication of these statements.
To-date the Association can confirm that the Tourism Industry’s E-News is touching over 6500 people from direct mail outs from the Association’s Secretariat. Many more receive the publication through family and friends privately forwarding the E-News on. The Association is determined to take the number of subscribers to 10000 in the coming months. The common questions asked by Government Officials are about the readership, to which the Tourism Industry’s Association has confirmed that, Members of the country’s Cabinet of Ministers, Politicians and a very large number of Civil Servants, including Principal Secretaries and Director Generals themselves receive the publication, and comments from that section of the community, has been very positive as the E-News is used as a means to be updated on issues and on current developments. Every Member of the local business community is to-day on the Association’s mailing list, as is Foreign Embassies, Seychelles Overseas Missions, and International Agencies, such as the World Bank, IMF, the Commonwealth and every Member of the Press fraternity who has written about the Seychelles or who has visited the islands. Overseas representatives of Air Seychelles and Head Offices of all Airlines serving the Seychelles, Head Offices of Foreign Hotel Groups, new Investors, and Businesses dealing with the Seychelles also receive the Tourism Industry’s E-News. The final big block of people receiving the E-News is Seychellois and ‘Friends’ of Seychelles residing Overseas.
The Association’s publication is a self funded initiative which depends largely on the adverti-sing it attracts. At only Rupees five hundred per issue, it remains the ‘best value for money’ advert for any tourism related business and service providers because every Tour Operator dealing with Seychell-es receive the publication, and because the distribution list now includes sales and counter staff selling the destination. To maximize the exposure of the advertisers, the Tourism Indus-try’s Association has linked the web site of every advertiser to their advert. This has resulted in many queries received directly from Travel Agents seeking more information from the Association about different properties.
The Seychelles Tourism Industry felt that the publication was a necessity, and today it can say that based on comments received so far, it can confirm that the Industry’s Association has established itself as the main vital link for the country's tourism industry.
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