Sherin Francis, CEO of Seychelles Tourism Board, told Travel Bulletin at World Travel Market (WTM) that the Indian Ocean destination is becoming a hub for "events-related vacations".
This year, Seychelles has hosted an international swimming competition with FINA, and a sailing cup, and an international golf tournament is scheduled for next month. Ms Francis said that all these events are on the calendar for 2019 and 2020, as well as an eco-marathon in February. The annual Creole Festival is another event which can be used to push Seychelles as a holiday destination, she added.
Activity-based tourism is an area where Ms Francis says the Seychelles can differentiate itself from its neighbours, particularly with hiking.
"Hiking is a big thing for us," she said. "We have launched a hiking guide this year and we are looking to hold hiking races."
MICE (meeting, incentives, conferences and events) is another growth area for the Seychelles, according to Ms Francis.
"We don't have the capacity for huge conferences but we can do sizeable and niche events ... and it's a great opportunity for work and play, to take two days [after the conference] to rejuvenate," she told Travel Bulletin.
Ms Francis said that supporting travel agents led their strategy for tourism development and that fam trips and more agent training are in the pipeline for 2019. As well as in-person training, Ms Francis said that an official online training platform will be launched to help train more agents, especially those who work in remote areas.
