News 06.11.13
‘Vanilla islands’ union grows bigger
Sri Lanka is also to be invited to join and
the concept could extend to the African coast and islands such as Zanzibar and off the coast of India. A chief executive and director of market-
ing have now been appointed and a brand campaign “with the imagery of vanilla” at its core is being worked on, but no further details have been made available. St Ange said another move would be
to encourage low-impact smaller-ship cruising on Vanilla Island routes and whale watching. For his own country, St Ange said
Seychelles tourism is up by 13% year-on- year, against many long-haul trends and despite “economic issues in Europe”. The island nation is expecting to make it
Tourism to the Seychelles is up by 13% April Hutchinson
THE UNION of the “vanilla islands” in the Indian Ocean is set to grow stronger, with the addition of Maldives and possibly Sri Lanka, and has obtained funding from the EU to push its marketing forward. The UNWTO formally recognised the
Vanilla Islands Tourism Organization as an entity this September and it is being driven by Seychelles’ minister of tourism and culture, Alain St Ange. Speaking at WTM, St Ange said Vanilla Islands had the full support of Taleb Rifai,
ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES
Tenerife looks to the stars, cycling and hiking to tempt new visitors
TENERIFE IS to promote stargazing and other niche activities as it looks to raise more revenues from tourism. The Canary Island has been developing alternative products since 2010 in a bid to supplement its traditional bucket-and-spade winter sun market. “The most popular reason to visit the island is sun and beach but it’s a destination where you can experience different activities,” said Carlos Alonso, president of the council of Tenerife. The aim is to increase awareness of alternative things to do on the island. Alonso said the climate lent itself to
08 06.11.2013
cycling and hiking as well as stargazing. “We have increased the basket of
activities they [visitors] do, not only resting on hotel beaches, but also [engage] in these kinds of activities.” From January to September 2013, the
largest of the Canary Islands received a total of 1,180,481 Britons, up 1% compared to the same period in 2012. “It’s not a question of having more tourists, but having the same level more or less, with a more diversified basket in terms of origin, for example we are increasing Russian and Nordic tourists,” Alonso said.
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) secretary-general, who is set to announce further details of the union today. St Ange said: “People recognise the
Caribbean as one tourism destination and that’s how we wish to be thought of. But to create a new tourism region is no easy feat. We now have €800,000 budget from the EU for the rest of the year to help us, and possibly more to come in 2014.” The concept was born in August 2010 and
unifies the islands of Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar, La Reunion, Seychelles and most recently Maldives and Mayotte.
to 240,000 arrivals by the end of the year. “This is a big number for us – we only
have 87,000 people in Seychelles, so we have to carefully grow tourism,” said the minister. Mihin Lanka, a government-owned low-
cost carrier aligned to national airline Sri Lankan, is set to start flights between Colombo and Mahe on November 16. St Ange said he was also hopeful of
a new direct route from Paris next year and would “love British Airways to return to Seychelles”. For domestic connectivity, Air Seychelles
has a new fleet of three Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 coming next year to upgrade inter-island services.
MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
Brazilians spend big, European marketers told
EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS blunder into marketing campaigns without conducting proper research about their potential visitors, it has been claimed. Eduardo Santander, executive director
of the European Travel Commission, said countries across the continent “blindly copy each other” when it comes to attract- ing tourists from long-haul markets, and often ignore the cultural attributes of would-be holidaymakers. “We’ve heard lots about the potential for
growth out of China or Brazil, but when it comes to marketing, countries just push the messages they have for everyone else. Conducting marketing campaigns without sound intelligence is simply crazy.” Santander was speaking following the
signing of an agreement between the ETC and BRAZTOA, the Brazilian Tour Operators’ Association. The deal will see the two share information and conduct research among consumers, which will be shared between Europe’s 33 national tourist organisations. Brazil is considered to be one of Europe’s
biggest potential markets, due to its expanding middle class and high-spending upper class. Between 2000 and 2012 Brazilian travel expenditure grew at 40% per year to $22 billion. The ETC said destinations should focus
on the things that attract Brazilians – including sport, heritage and food. “Last year 1.5 million Brazilians went to
the US and spent $9 billion. That’s $6,000 per person, and it is why Florida and New York are investing heavily in marketing in Brazil. Europe needs to realise that Brazilians spend big.”
IN THE DRIVING SEAT: Colorado is giving travel agents the chance to win a jeep experience in the UK if they visit its stand. Pictured from left are: Jayne Buck, Visit Denver; Yan Baczkowski, Snowmass; Mary Motsenbocker, The Broadmoor Hotel; and Mike Driver, Colorado Tourism Office.
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