Why Are Chinese Tour Operators Cancelling Seychelles Travel?
So why are Chinese tour operators cancelling trips to Seychelles?
Over ebola fears, according to a report in eTurboNews.
Top Seychelles tourism officials have gone to China armed with maps of Africa and this message: Seychelles is Ebola free and safe for travelers.
Alain St. Ange, the Seychelles minister for tourism and culture is in China with Sherin Naiken, CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, for one-on-one meetings with travel agents and tour operators. They’re selling Seychelles as the new tourism destination for Chinese vacationers.
They started in Beijing with CAISSA Travel Management Co. Ltd., Windy Feeling International Travel Service, and Qunar.com, eTurboNews reports.
St. Ange argued that Africa is 54 countries, not villages, and spelled out where Seychelles was — safely situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, eTurboNews reports.
It became apparent to a delegation of Seychelles’ private tourism players who want to work with Chinese tour operators, that Chinese travelers have not yet figured out this geographical detail, according to the report. They put Seychelles in the same bag as other African countries. This wrong perception gave the Seychelles’ tourism industry bad publicity.
The Ebola threat has affected Africa’s tourism industry. Seychelles has been registering cancellations in tourism bookings.
“Ebola is on the west coast of Africa; we sit off the east coast of Africa,” St. Ange said. “Yes, Seychelles remains part of Africa, but we live our lives as a small island nation well outside all the difficulties that are ravaging this continent.”
Tour operators and travel agents in China are convinced the Ebola threat in West African countries is a wake-up call for the continent, eTurboNews reports.
“China is still overcoming its SARS lesson, and with the Ebola outbreak,
travelers are conscious of their choice of holiday destinations,” according to CAISSA. Chinese tour operators and travel agents say there
needs to be continued management of the epidemic to ensure travelers’ behavior does not boycott the continent as a whole.
St.Ange and his delegation plan to go to Xiamen and Shanghai armed with a map of Africa showing clearly the position of Ebola-affected countries and where Seychelles is situated. The same message will be repeated, the report said.
http://uncova.com/why-are-chinese-tour-operators-cancelling-seychelles-travel
St Ange is right to educate Chinese of geography of this region,but I donot think Chinese are avoiding visitng Africa because of their ignorance of Africa geographic position.The fact seems to be caused by the words of One of the scientist who helped discover EBOLA ,Mr Peter Piot who is officially spreading the fear by saying"He is concern the disease could spread to China given the large numbers of Chinese workers traveling to and from Africa and because of the low standard of inflectional disease control in China".There is over 1 million chinese working in Africa and traveling on regular basis back to China,yes this posses a risk.But ,the problem is ,Mr Pter Piot in his comment closely follow by Chinese did not clarify the fact that there is African states especially East African states ,at the top of the list Island states like Seychelles,Mauritius,Reniuon where the probably of being affected by the Ebola virus is miminal if not literally impossible because of their isolation to the rest of Africa. It is good that St Ange show Chinese his map,and the geographical situation of Seychelles ,but I think the words of medical Experts like Mr Peter Piot and others would have more convincing effect on Chinese travelers than a non-medical expert like St Ange or others.It would take Chinese government insurance as well as Chinese Midical experts to inform Chinese people ,inform them,and finally gain their confidence in order that we could see a change in Chinese travelers attitude.
ReplyDeleteIn other words,it would take a real and well-concoted information campaign by both Chinese government,medical experts and in addition to that also Intenrational Medical experts Like Mr Peter Piot in order to change Chinese fear of traveling to Africa.Without the guarantee of Chines Governemnt and medical experts it would be hard for a foreigner to convivnce the Chinese people to do other wise.In Asien culture,people tend to believe more in their government and own people than foreigners.
Jeanne D'Arc
When you have well-known experts like Pter Piot,WHO and other International organizations spreading the fear andwarning China of the risks of being contaminated by Ebola virus because of the many Chinese traveling to and from Africa,and hearing WHo decalring EBOLA outbreaks a Global health Emergency,beleive me,St Ange could bring all the mpas he could,it would not be enough to turn the tide.
ReplyDeleteThe words of WHO,and experts Like Peter Piot weigh much more heavier on Chinese than it would by St Ange or nay foreign tourism minister.
When you hear WHo telling Chinese that they must be prepared----One way of getting prepare is by discouraging Chinese people from traveling to countries at risks which most are in Africa.In other words Not traveling at all,seems to be one of Chinese way of protecting themselves and unless organizations Like WHO and Intenrational experts calm them down ,I donot think there would be a change in Chinese attitude.I could see them telling St Ange"Sir the WHO and International tell us not to travel to Africa and you from a small island state and not being a medical expert you telling us it is Okay"
Happy Birthday Gary Tall!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday Gary!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your birthday was before FAR.
Can you believe this ghost is only 97?
The oldies are sitting on plastic chairs and the rest on cushion wooden chairs.
Somewhere in hell some hard core SPUP can't believe FAR made to HAVEN!
NATION writes"Promoting Seychelles as a tourist destination"Is it new Partilepep or first time that we prom0te Seychelles as tourist destination?or it back dates for decades?And partilepep you spending money to advertise Seychelles but where is the transportation to carry the tourists you asking to come to visit us donkey?You does partilepep donkeys think tourists would swim from Europe to Seychelles donkey?
ReplyDeleteThe killer is 79 years old,and partilepep wants us to worship atheist priest RENE instead of GOD.That the British speak (not necessarily celebrate the Queen's birthday is normal,ti si an old tradition and decdidied by the Britsh people voluntarily).But no country(democratic countires in the world)celebrate the birthday of an Ex-President--
ReplyDeleteWe still forced birthday delebrations still in the few communist countries left like CUBA;NORTH KOREA;;ZIMBABWE;BELARUS and Seychelles because these are countires being still enslaved by marons often atheists and killers like Partilepep members in Seychelles.
If you would ask Seychelles to chose between celebrating Gerald or REN birthday ,I am sure without hesistation they would massively say--Gerald .
After bankrupting Seychelles twice,Laporte and partilepep is about to sell out Seychelles economy to WTO by bending to dictations of WTO with all its consequences.This would make Seychelles more depednet of foriegners and on the long term losses its sovereignty.The big sell out is tto being soon,after Dr Alporte who has proven incompetent is sginging our death to WTO.
ReplyDeleteThe Assembly should refuse to amend this crooked deal made by a handful fo donekys in the pl without any consultation with local business communities and ,the people and financial experts..WTO is an Intenrational dictatorship that rapes National laws and regualtions in roder that its has total control on a country's economy.What Laporte and partilepep is doing is criminal.
What should entail in a promtoiuon package when promoting tourism---amny things which are all interwind and importatnt to make things wrok---
ReplyDelete-Sales
Accomodation
Activities
-Ancillary services
And TRANSPORTATION--------St Ange is spending tax payers money to supposedly advertise Seychelles as atourism destination---But is Seychelles long known as Tourism destination St Ange?
Is it usefull and intelligent to waste more tax payers' money to promoting tourism in Seychelles when one important tool that is necessary to achieve success is not being provided by Partilepep---it is connnectivitiy morons.?Or if you like more precisely DIRETFLIGHTS--DIRECT CONNECTION from and to our shores St Ange.whithout this you going top waste tax payers money and achieve zero success.
The amazing thing .is recently NATION;SBC pontificated with long article the interest of CHINESE AIRLINE operating direct flight from CHina to Seychelles-Partilepe strangely thinks direct flights from and to China will boost arrivals--but as strange as it is the same partilepep donkeys failed to recognize the fact that Direct lfights from our main market would have the same effect as CHINESE AIRLINE flying direct lfight from China to Seychelles.If we understand the position of Partiklepep is that--When drect lfghit is operated by foreign Air line company it is beneftial for our tourism industry but pstragnely that seems not to be th3 case when it comes to Seychelles National Airl9ine operating direct flight fomr its MAIN market.
If partilepep believes Direct flight from China would boost arrival(though China is not our main market yet)why does partilepep refuses to recognize the fact that Direct flight to our main market would have the same benefit and increase of Arrivals as Chines Direct flight operation would have?Well,Morgan and Michel have pocketed high bribes from Khalfia to sell out Air Seychelles to EAU that the sum they pocket is so high that if the two devil twice attempted to reverse the illegal deal they signed with Khalifa they would have to refund the multi-millions they pocket in bribes ,a sum to high from they to refund.So better kill Seychelles tourism industry to protect and disguise Morgan/Michel gross corruption in the illegal deal.NB no company in the world in which leaders are mentally fit ,would sell out the motor of their industry in return for bribes and destruction of their own economy unless you highly crooked like Morgan/&Michel.No company with the biggest share in the world would deliberately allow a minority shareholder to dictaters its will on the biggest shareholder---this does not exist in the real wold unless you in a crooked society like In Seychelles under partilepep criminals.
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Instead of changing stragety immediately by operating direct flghits from and to EUROPE whereby people are high informed abot EBOLA and know well that Seychelles in not a potential risk.St Ange continues to sing about Chinese tourists.
ReplyDeleteWhy will Chinese not come for now---becvuase World Intenrational organizations and experts are telling thme not to do so.Becuae their own government are concern of the high risks and because China lacks medical facilities to dealing with such high virus as WHO as said;becuase Chinese government k^nows that should CHina be infected the it would be a health disaster for china and many Chinese would be affected which would also means an economic back clash for Chines own economy especially its own tourism industry.
EUROEPANS on the other hand,,have well and highly equippedmedical facilities and experts to deal with a contamination of their citizns from EBOLA abroad,and EUROEPANS are better informed ,and know Africa better than Chinese and can evaluate the risks therefore than HCinese do.Hence,Seychelles government should forget about Chines tourists for now,and concentrate of bringing EUROEPANS to our shores before the end of the year ,and also our high seasons in order to fill hotels rooms .else we will see a lost in revenue this year.
Money St Ange is wasting to entice a non-convicned and afraid Chinese tourists community should be used instead to aggressively promote and entice as many EUROAPNS to our shores before Decmeber in order that we could at least gain some revneus this year.
St Ange could together with hotels etc... provide a special package and a decrease in hotel as well as flight price to attract EUROEPeaN imediately------aND FOR THAT dIRECT LFIGHT WOULD BE IMPERATIVE IN ENTICING EUROPEAN TOURSISTS.
Proposing a package including a reasonable price og hotles,flight could attract many Europeans before winter strick and thereby save our tourism industry from total collapse aprtilepep.GET our Natiuonal Airline back home ,and ioperating direct lfights from our main market immediately donkeys.Air Sey is from Seychellois not for paritlepep or Khalfia donekys.We share 60 perentage in this deal and as majority shareholders we must have our says,and defence our country's intersts not that of a foreigner call Khalfia donkeys.
On Early child day--partilepep tell our kids they must"learn to play and grow together"----playing together is something natural for kids to do,they do not need dictates for partilepep to do so,Grow together is what they also do naturally when they at school,So why ask them to do what they do nautrally as kids partilepep?Our kids need knowledge in order that the can survive in knowledge society and not how to play for the alter they know better than any adults.Bring them see,touch palnts in botanical garden,Valley-de Mai so that they can really learn something .pl?
ReplyDeleteMeriton,and partilepep likes celebrating bogus celebration like Fathers day,but not celebrations that concern all human beings like Human rights,freedom of expression etc... partilepep choses whatcelbration day they want to celebrate and often those important ONES TLIKE hUMAn RIGHTS THEY ALL FORGET THAT IT EXIST DELIBERATELY BECUASE THEY KNOW THEY ARECRIMINALS.