Tourism Seychelles made a resounding presence at the recent 38th Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF), held in South Korea from May 4th to 7th, 2023.
The event provided an excellent platform for Seychelles to reconnect with trade partners and consumers, promoting the destination’s unique attractions and strengthening its position in the South Korean market.
Led by Amia Jovanovic-Desir, Director of Southeast Asia and Australasia, with the accompaniment of Tourism Officer Sylvianne Nicette, Seychelles’ booth showcased captivating images of the destination and was widely visited on the four days. The representatives actively engaged in a series of meetings and interactions which highlighted the islands’ strong selling points, notably the diverse experiences and attractions. The queries varied from activities, cultural highlights, and of course, the iconic Coco de Mer which remains very attractive.
The team conducted destination presentations and familiarised the visitors with the islands and why it remains one of the most preferred leisure holiday destinations among South Koreans. Several sales call visits were also organised to prominent tour operators and agents, including Ever Blue, Hana Tours, Interpark, Its MyTravel, and Aviareps. These meetings highlighted the challenges faced by tour operators in selling Seychelles.
“Seychelles faces strong competition from popular destinations like the Maldives, which offers similar attributes which appeal to South Korean travellers. To differentiate Seychelles from its competitors, a more aggressive promotional marketing approach is required,” said Mrs Jovanovic-Desir. She added that the island-hopping concept and other unique experiences must be effectively communicated to potential visitors. There must also be an adequate promotion of the niches like golf, the MICE sector (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), FIT (Free Independent Travelers), individual explorers, nature, families, and the mature travel segment.
Tourism Seychelles now plans to invite agents to experience the destination in a bid to increase the general awareness of the islands on the market. The outbound travel market in South Korea experienced a robust rebound in 2022, with forecasts indicating that international travel will exceed pre-pandemic levels by 2024. Mrs. Jovanovic-Desir said this will present a golden opportunity for Seychelles to capture a share of this growing outbound market.
