Seychelles is set to launch a marketing campaign to attract tourists from the UAE and Gulf region.
"The UAE and Gulf regions are of great interest to us. The diversity of the markets, with their unique mix of nationals, Arab, Western and Asian expatriates, makes it an especially attractive area to promote The Seychelles as a leisure destination," said Francis Savy, the chief executive officer of Seychelles Tourism and Marketing Authority (STMA). Savy said during a visit to Dubai that the STMA aims to create awareness and increase the number of visitors from the Gulf area to the Seychelles with the targeted marketing campaign. In line with the marketing drive, the country's national airline, Air Seychelles, has announced twice weekly direct flights between Dubai and Victoria, the Seychelles' capital. The flights will begin on December 3. The flights, using a Boeing 737, will leave Dubai on Tuesday and Friday and return on Monday and Thursday. With a flight time of just four hours, the direct flights are expected to add to the country's appeal as an ideal destination for short breaks, weekends and holidays. The Seychelles consists of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa. The country is a treasure of natural beauty and offers some of the world's most stunning scenery. Magnificent granite rock formations and boulders make for a dramatic backdrop to the breathtaking, luxuriant vegetation and intermittent stretches of soft white sand. The diverse flora and fauna of the archipelago includes numerous unique species, ranging from the world's smallest frog to the largest land tortoise and the Indian Ocean's only flightless bird. The STMA has also announced the appointment of Dubai-based Mohamed Al Geziry Consultancy as the country's dedicated representative office agency for the UAE and the Gulf.