Maldives discusses joint tourism action with Seychelles

Seychelles Tourism Board has informed that the Minister of State for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Thoyyib Mohamed met with Alain St.Ange, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board.  

According to the Tourism Board of Seychelles, the meeting which was held in the presence of Mr. Lambert Bonne, the Maldives Consul based in Seychelles, which took place at the Seychelles Tourism Board's Bel Ombre offices, was also attended by Mrs. Elsia Grandcourt, the Deputy CEO of the Tourism Board. The statement of the board said that the discussions centered on joint actions between Maldives and the Seychelles and on the participation by Maldives at the 2012 Seychelles Carnival.

The board reported that State Minister Thoyyib and the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board discussed working together to get the Indian Ocean more known in the tourism market worldwide. Maldives has made big inroads in the Chinese Market, where they now welcome over 120,000 Chinese visitors annually, and discussions were held on existing air access linking the Maldives to China. The State Minister invited the CEO of Seychelles Tourism to consider a working visit to Maldives, especially as Maldives was now forging ahead in Asia with a big delegation of Asia Tour Operators supported by Air Singapore, expected in Maldives in September for meetings on further increasing sales, reports the board.

“The meeting with [the] Maldives Minister responsible for tourism, and Mr. Bonne, the Maldives local Consul, was good. We have a new partner and one that is committed to working together. He believes, as we do, in joint actions and is considering propositions for Maldives' involvement as a partner in the Seychelles Carnival, now known as the unique carnival of carnivals. The same proposition is also being considered by La Reunion. Both Madame Grandcourt and myself were happy with the meeting that paves the way for a closer working partnership," Alain St.Ange said.