Members of the Seychelles’ tourism trade have assisted the tourism board in conceiving a new, promotional tagline for its 2012 marketing campaign.

The new slogan, “The Seychelles Experience…more accessible than ever before,” comes at a time when the Seychelles islands need to show the world that despite the challenges of air access and the recession that persists in many of its core markets, Seychelles remains an attractive choice for consumers seeking the unique Seychelles island-style vacation of their dreams. It was Louis D’Offay, the Chairman of the Seychelles Hospitality&Tourism Association (SHTA), who personally brought the industry’s proposal at an association’s Special General meeting just a week ago. The island’s Tourism Board welcomed the idea, and especially the clear message behind the new private sector industry tagline

The new slogan, which will now appear on a new generation of banners, posters, and other collateral materials and which will be widely used in all promotional materials and marketing messages, reflects the fact that Seychelles possesses a diverse basket of accommodation choices ranging from 5-star hotels and exclusive island getaways to the affordable charms of small hotels, Creole guesthouses, and self-catering establishments.

It also articulates the message that despite the cessation of direct nonstop services by the national airline, Air Seychelles, to European destinations, that vacuum is being filled by a number of new options for air access by such airlines as Air Austral, with two direct, nonstop flights from Paris. This will be further reinforced by service from the Italian Airline, Blue Panorama, commencing on February 14 with one Rome-Milan-Seychelles sector, extending to two flights a week by July 2012. Also, Ethiopian Airlines is expected to commence services to Seychelles through its global network (Africa, Europe, Americas, and the Far East) on April 1, 2012.

“In the dynamic world of international tourism, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels but must be constantly at the ready to build on our success of recent years and consolidate the gains our tourism industry has made, by seeking out new options for airlift, diversifying our markets, and by ensuring that our products on the ground appeal to a broader spectrum of consumer,” stated Alain St.Ange, CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, “We must accept that nothing about our tourism industry is static but is rather constantly responding to a wide array of stimuli, both positive and negative, from all across the globe. We at the Tourism Board are conscious of the need to stay ahead of the curve, remain proactive, and constantly be on the lookout for fresh opportunities with which to energize our industry.”