It is estimated that over three million viewers watched Seychelles on French television on August 2, when the popular Capital M6 zoomed its camera on the archipelago.
The impact was such that the next day the Seychelles Tourist Office in Paris was inundated with phone calls and requests. Feedbacks were received from various levels of tourism professionals in France and the consensus was that it has further pushed the destination into the hearts and minds of the French.
The programme was dedicated to tourism and environment and how development should never be compromised in a land which is a sanctuary, not only for its 86,000 strong population and the extraordinary biodiversity of its pristine islands – but also for the select number of tourists who make the pilgrimage to its world-class beaches and exotic island hideaways.
Seychelles was rightly portrayed as an exclusive destination which has a great deal to offer.
Not only do the islands stand out for their envied beaches but enlightened conservation measures have ensured that almost half of the limited landmass has been set-aside as a “living natural history museum”, boasting some of the rarest species of flora and fauna on earth – a heaven for ornithologists and nature lovers.
Two hotels, Maia and Desroches, were also prominently featured with their envious high class villas and services, as did Eden Island which is a residential marina development featuring a range of luxurious apartments, spacious maisons and private villas.
The chairman of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, who was himself presented in the programme as the ‘government man’ in all tourism developments in Seychelles, said M6 has managed to capture the very essence on which Seychelles’ tourism thrives.
“All the essential elements that make a Seychelles holiday experience memorable, can be easily understood in this 30-minute programme,” he said.
picture: Seychelles Tourism Board
