Tourism is just not a static industry, and those who continue to innovate are seen and noted. The Seychelles Tourism Board’s Office for Africa and the Americas used the Explore Africa 2012 Workshop in Brazil to launch the Portuguese version of their website and their promotional flyer also in the Portuguese language.

Websites are today a key tool to launch into any market, and David Germain, the Seychelles Director for Africa and the Americas, said in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that the holiday destination of Seychelles has been working with key partners in South America for the last three years to open the Seychelles market. Mr. Germain said that they felt it was time to now move ahead to attract the fair share of that big potential market for Seychelles. “This is why we are now launching our website and our promotional flyer in the Portuguese language,” David Germain said.

Seychelles has been actively working with South Africa where Brazilians travel in large numbers for a Big Five Safari Holiday to offer twin-center options. “Our drive comes as Air Seychelles announces it is increasing its weekly flights to Johannesburg to four flights per week from the existing two flights. Our mission in Brazil was worth the while, and we have now signed up several key Brazilian tour operators to promote Seychelles and South Africa in combination. ‘From the Big Five… to the Best Five’ slogan coined by Seychelles will be used in the promotion of the islands in Brazil,” said the island’s Minister responsible for Tourism.

Minister Alain St.Ange of the Seychelles said that many cannot see themselves adopt the need to move into new markets. This he said applied for some destinations as it did to some hotel owners. “The time has arrived to really explore the principle of diversification. Our traditional markets of France, Italy, and the UK are producing less numbers, not only for Seychelles, but for many, many destinations who have depended on these traditional markets for so long. The Seychelles Tourism Board must be congratulated, because they have been proactive and moved ahead even when they were not understood by some members of their local trade. Today, as the Seychelles Director for Africa and the Americas launches his Portuguese language website and a promotional flyer also in the Portuguese language to help in the promotion of Seychelles in Brazil, I simply say congratulations to the Tourism Board, because this is the way forward, being proactive and being innovative,” the Seychelles Minister St.Ange said.

The Brazilian economy is today faring very well, and Seychelles is but one stop from Brazil via Johannesburg with South Africa Airways or via Doha with Qatar Airways and via Dubai with Emirates. All these three airlines are committed to working with the Seychelles Tourism Board to get the islands more known through press trips and tour operator fam trips.

It can now be confirmed that early next year a big fam trip is being put together now to explore the “From the Big Five… to the Best Five” holiday option with South African Airways and Designer Tours of Brazil. “This is just a classic example where South Africa and Seychelles will be push together by a Brazilian company as a holiday option for Brazilian holiday makers,” Minister St.Ange said.