Seychelles captivates audiences at wedding and honeymoon exhibition in Sri Lanka

A Tourism Seychelles team composed of the Director for Israel, Turkey, Australia, and Southeast Asia Amia Jovanovic-Desir and the Director for Customer Services Selma Magnan, represented the destination at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) from 6 to 8 October 2023. 

As part of their ongoing efforts to boost its presence in Sri Lanka, the team seized this opportunity to reinforce Seychelles’ standing as one of the most renowned wedding and honeymoon destinations during their scheduled Sri Lankan marketing trip. 

The Seychelles Islands display was the sole international exhibitor among over 80 local wedding-related partners showcasing their different products and services, including wedding planners, hotels, florists, seamstresses, jewellers, and caterers. 

This year, the exhibition supported the Cancer Concern Association under the theme ‘‘Unveil-Weddings unbridled by cancer”, spearheaded by a resilient cancer survivor Indira Jayasuriya. 

The event drew the attention of young couples planning to marry in 2024 or in the near future. Likewise, the agents and direct consumers who visited the Seychelles stand expressed a strong interest to discover more about the destination. The team also received many inquiries from couples planning their next honeymoon in Seychelles. 

Commenting on the event, the Director for Israel, Turkey, Australia, and Southeast Asia expressed her satisfaction to have participated in the event. 

“A wedding is a wonderful celebration in Sri Lanka. Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity for us to establish a presence on the Sri Lankan market, in addition to the earlier promotional initiatives we had conducted before to the pandemic. Our goal is to revitalise and reposition Seychelles in the minds of potential Sri Lankan visitors. We are confident that Seychelles can tap into a profitable market area. However, we must continue to train and invite agents to visit the location, and we must engage with those partners that believe in this market to generate interest and stimulate demand,” said Jovanovic-Desir. 

She also thanked the Air Seychelles GSA and General Manager R. Dougie Douglas, based in Colombo and Kathleen Payet from SilverPearl Tours and Travel, for their valuable contribution in making the event a success. 

The Seychelles stand also gained significant coverage from Sirasa TV, a private television network. Jovanovic-Desir was interviewed, wherein she elaborated on why Seychelles remains an ideal leisure and honeymoon destination for the Sri Lankan audience. Following that, the interview was shared on their social media platforms. 

With two weekly direct flights from Colombo to Seychelles, as well as the new connections formed during the recent mission and market promotion, an increase in business from this region is anticipated.