In a bid to increase the global standing of Seychelles as a tourist destination, delegates from a number of the country's travel companies will be taking part in two forthcoming regional trade exhibitions.

The first of these will be the Indaba 2003 exhibition, in South Africa, which will be opened Saturday May 3 by South African President, Thabo Mbeki.

A thirteen-strong Seychelles delegation, from nine companies, including STMA, will be participating in the Indaba 2003 exhibition, which will go on May 6, at the International Convention Centre in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal.

Indaba is a tourism trade exhibition that the South African Tourist Board (SATB) claims offers exceptional business, conference and leisure prospects to those attending the event. Visitors to Indaba consist of key international travel trade professionals from all sectors of the tourism industry.

The widely acclaimed Indaba exhibition provides South Africa, as well as it's geographical neighbours such as Seychelles, with what the SATB calls the ultimate opportunity to showcase themselves to the international market.

Prior to the actual Indaba event, Indaba workshops were held in Johannesburg on April 29 and 30, as well as yesterday. Four local companies participated at these workshops, contributing a combined total of seven participants, at which they each made a 15-minute presentation on their products and services.

The Indaba event will be followed by the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), from May 6 to 9, to be held at the Airport Expo, in Dubai, UAE. The ATM is set to draw an even bigger delegation from Seychelles, with 21 participants travelling to Dubai to represent ten local companies.

Celebrating it's tenth anniversary this year, the ATM is recognised worldwide as the leading travel industry for the Middle East and Arab world.

In 1999 over 600 exhibitors from more than 40 countries took the chance to show case their products at the ATM. Visitors to the 1999 ATM travelled from 92 different countries to attend and the Seychelles delegates will form part of the ATM crowd this year.

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