After almost two years of non-representation in UK, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) re-opened its Tourist Office in London on July 15. The decision to recapture that market has been greatly welcomed by both the local and British travel trade.

The regional manager for the UK market at the Seychelles Tourism Board, Fiona Lane, was appointed last year but was working from an adhoc office until two weeks ago. She is now joined by two marketing assistants from the STB head office on Mahe, and they will be responsible to facilitate and boost the country’s marketing activities in the UK.

The office will also support tour operators, hoteliers, and other trade partners in their sales and marketing campaigns, and introduce initiatives for UK agents, including a comprehensive training program in 2010 and 2011.

Speaking at the re-opening of the office, the chief executive officer of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Alain St.Ange, said that: “UK had always been an important traditional market for us, and the decision to close the office was not necessarily a wise one.

“It happened at a time when the visitor arrival statistics from that market were already suffering, and the non-absence of a dedicated office only helped to take away Seychelles from the British holiday market."

The office now re-opens with the hard task of reversing the downward trend of visitor numbers from UK and re-establishing the islands as one of the favorite locations on Earth for the British.

“It is high time that we re-established ourselves on the UK market and we are now there to stay,” said Mr. St.Ange.