FEATURE INDIAN OCEAN
From the front line
BETH ALCORN PRODUCT AND MARKETING MANAGER, EMIRATES TOURS UK “The Indian Ocean continues to be one of our top-selling regions, with the Maldives and
Mauritius our stand-out destinations. The increasing number of offers has kept a steady demand for travel, bucking the trends of the recession and ensuring that clients have not had to compromise on luxury when choosing their holiday. Over the past year, the Seychelles has been met with increased interest with bookings rising almost 10%. Sri Lanka currently stands 75% up on the previous years’ booking figures, due to its affordability in comparison to other Indian Ocean destinations.”
NIKKI MORTIMER PRODUCT MANAGER FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN AT VIRGIN HOLIDAYS “We are on target to achieve our highest ever volume to Mauritius this year. As
with the Maldives, all-inclusive sells very well, although most hotels are based around half-board. What makes Mauritius so unique is the quality, with the highest level of attention to detail given to everything; a perfect getaway for honeymooners, wedding couples, families or couples and friends just wishing to spoil themselves. Seychelles numbers are small, meaning it retains an air of exclusivity. We have just introduced one new hotel here for 2011, the Constance Ephelia Resort on Mahe.”
SHAMIRA KAUMAYA-HATT COMMERCIAL MANAGER, SUNSET FARAWAY HOLIDAYS
“Mauritius remains our best seller and we already foresee an increase of 8-10%.
The strategy of discounts applied by the hotels has played a big role in maintaining the demand, not to mention how attractive they prove financially for both the tour operator and travel trade promoting them. Great value has stemmed from exclusive deals with certain partners starting from £850 pp on an all- inclusive basis. Unbeatable for a four star property!”
46 September 2010 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
TOP SELLING TIPS... A growing number of hotels
with all-inclusive options offer great value for money and allow clients who usually would have been priced out of the market to visit
This is your chance to offer
clients private island holidays with destinations such as Denis, Desroches and Fregate in the Seychelles and all the major resorts in the Maldives on their own tiny atolls
Options for family travel
have increased dramatically over the past few years, with hotels eager to attract this lucrative market
Never underestimate the
lure of an overwater villa, available in the Maldives
There are plenty of activity
holidays to sell to all four Indian Ocean destinations from kite surfing in Mauritius to eco treks in the Seychelles
again open. With a
large density of leopards in Yala, wildlife safaris in Sri Lanka can now hold a candle to Africa. Moreover, they are very family friendly. In addition to leopards, land species include elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, monitors and monkeys. David Fraser, Cosmos Distant
Dreams product manager for the Indian Ocean, comments: “Sri Lanka had a tough couple of years due to the political unrest however now that the situation has stabilised we are seeing a significant improvement in sales and our current winter 2010/11 programme is trading 130 percent up year on year. We are expecting even further sales as Sri Lanka‘s advertising campaign ‘Visit Sri Lanka 2011’ progresses.” This is a good time to be selling all four
destinations as there are some great value-for-money offers out there, in particular in the all-inclusive market.
WHAT’S NEW Hotel development in the Maldives continues apace. The new Shangri-La Villingili Resort & Spa (
shangri-la.com) is the first resort in the Maldives to feature
jungle tree house
villas. All 16 villas are perched on stilts three metres above the ground
and feature an elevated infinity
pool. Guests can rent bicycles and cycle a 17km route across linked islands. Six Senses Laamu (
sixsenses.com)
is scheduled to open in the autumn on the privately owned Olhuveli Island in the southerly Laamu Atoll. Along with 100 villas, a Six Senses Spa has the most extraordinary treatment ‘nests’ within the island’s natural vegetation. Anantara Kihavah Villas Resort &
Spa opens in December (2010) with the longest pool in the Maldives and spa treatments onboard The Spa Yacht. The hotel is also the first to host ‘Abalam’ parties for guests – a local Maldivian custom where every month a large feast is served up during a full moon night. (
kihavah-maldives.anantara.com)
TOUR I SM TALK The Seychelles Tourist Office is to re-launch its Seychelles Smart online training programme in 2011. The STB is also planning a series of workshops for 2011. Details will be available by WTM.
A Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority Fam for luxury travel agents will visit Mauritius in November. MPTA is also to enhance its online agent training programme, to include more information on activities such as deep-sea fishing, kite surfing, diving and quad biking. The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion
Bureau is planning another megafam in October. The second this year, it will expose agents to the newly added UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the central hills and other attractions on offer.
FIONA LANE REGIONAL MANAGER SEYCHELLES UK, IRELAND AND SCANDINAVIA
“Visitor arrivals are looking on the up compared to 2009. The Seychelles Tourist Office is working
very hard and in partnership with the travel trade partners to run workshops, online training programmes, fam trips, press trips and attend consumer fairs to increase consumer awareness. We recently re-opened the office in the UK,
Top: Villas Valriche in Mauritius Below: Religious icons in Sri Lanka
HOTELS REVIEWED
Get the verdict on the latest hotels and resorts reviewed in Selling Long Haul
sellinglonghaul.com
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