Committee aims to fight tourism slide

 Alain St.Ange, chair of the new SHTA marketing committee

In an effort to check falling visitor arrival figures the Seychelles Hotel and Tourism Association (SHTA) has established a new marketing committee to offer advice on national marketing strategy.

Chaired by Denis Island manager, Alain St.Ange, the committee is made up of ten experienced general managers from local hotels and travel operators.

According to a statement from the SHTA, the new committee, "will work with the STMA and the Ministry of Tourism (and Transport) to help halt the decline in tourist arrival figures and to promote the destination in our main markets."

The committee will draw on the expertise of professionals from across the local travel trade and Mr St.Ange picked up on this theme saying, "it is important for everyone to rally together and work to address the problems facing the industry which have caused the decline in visitor arrival numbers."

"The country needs its tourism industry to work and, as players in the industry, we need to ensure that it works well for the benefit of everyone," he added.

Executive Director of the SHTA, Germaine Michaud, said that the new committee would play a largely advisory role on Seychelles' marketing policy.

The committee will seek meetings with the Ministry of Tourism and Transport and the Seychelles Tourism Marketing Authority (STMA) in the near future.

According to Mrs Michaud a similar committee had been in existence previously but was disbanded due to lack of interest. She said that, given the current state of the tourism industry, the new committee is bound to attract far greater participation.

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