(Seychelles News Agency) - Emirates Airline extended its global marketing agreement with the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) on Monday on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market taking place at the Dubai Trade Centre.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ senior vice president of commercial operations for Africa, and STB’s chief executive, Sherin Francis.

At the signing ceremony, Abbas said that Seychelles is a very important destination for Emirates and that the airline “will develop a series of joint activities together with the Seychelles Tourism Board aiming to increase the visibility of the destination with our clients and we are confident that positive results will be seen in the short term.”

The MOU was signed by Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ senior vice president of commercial operations for Africa, and STB’s chief executive, Sherin Francis. (Emirates Airline) Photo License: CC-BY

The Emirates senior vice president said the airline's success on this route “is the result of relentless efforts by Emirates and the Seychelles Tourism Board and we truly believe that this partnership is beneficial to both parties.” 

A new record of almost 350,000 visitors to Seychelles was set in 2017. More than 28,000 visitors came from the United Arab Emirates, the third-most of any country.  

On her side, the STB chief executive said, “STB recognises the pivotal role the Emirates Airline has played in developing the Seychelles tourism industry over the past decade. Through the signing of the MOU, the destination is again reiterating its commitment and supports toward the airline to ensure it keeps on serving the destination.”

Through the agreement marketing activities such as attendance of tourism trade shows and fairs, trade familiarisation trips, product presentations and workshops among others will be undertaken jointly by Emirates and the Tourism Board.

Emirates started operations to the Seychelles in 2005 and currently connects the island nation in the western Indian Ocean twice daily to Dubai and onwards to over 150 other destinations in the Middle East, Asia, Australasia, the Americas and Europe with multiple daily connections.