The Seychelles Tourism Board has just announced the appointment of Mrs. Rose Marie Hoareau as Director of Marketing, meeting a key request made by the archipelago’s private sector and following recommendations by the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association.
The position was initially created to be filled by the private sector in 2009 and none other than the present Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St. Ange was the first to hold this office as then Director of Tourism Marketing.
Following extensive restructuring of STB was Mr. St. Ange then appointed as CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board before President James Alix Michel, who previously held the tourism portfolio himself, appointed him to cabinet in March 2012 as Minister.
With over 25 years of experience of working in the tourism industry, Rose-Marie Hoareau has been recruited to head the marketing department at the Seychelles Tourism Board answering to Mrs Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board. Rose Marie took office as the Director for Marketing officially on 01st of October filling in a key position in the tourism authority’s structure.
Prior to taking up office at the Seychelles Tourism Board’s headquarters at Bel Ombre was Rose Marie the Commercial Manager for Qatar Airways in Seychelles. The new Director of Marketing is also well versed in the aspects of marketing Seychelles as the ideal holiday destination as she was also a member of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association (SHTA) marketing committee – set up especially to consult and advise their partners in Government and the Seychelles Tourism Board. The SHTA committee worked to identify ways to best promote and develop the wide variety of activities, attractions and products that Seychelles has to offer.
Rose Marie’s appointment is seen as a direct result of requests made at the Industry Association’s last annual general meeting held at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles, when this particular issue was high on the agenda and to which the Minister Alain St. Ange responded by reassuring the private sector that an appropriate appointment would be announced in due course.
During the AGM had SHTA members voiced their concern to government that the Seychelles Tourism Board has not had a Director of Marketing since the elevation of Mr. St. Ange to the CEO position at the time. Those in the trade were especially interested that the country increases its marketing efforts in the Seychelles core markets in Europe, where they felt that the lack of direct flights from such destinations like Paris to Seychelles was having an adverse effect on the industry.
‘The Seychelles Tourism Board welcomes Mrs. Hoareau, as her presence in our organisation further strengthens our marketing efforts. Her appointment will also help make the Seychelles Tourism Board one that is more innovative with a more solid management structure’ commented Miss Sherin Naiken when speaking about the new appointment.
On her part Mrs. Rose Marie Hoareau responded by saying: ‘The appointment is an exciting new challenge and I look forward to working with the team for the betterment of the tourism industry’.
Minister Alain St.Ange has welcomed the appointment of Mrs Rose-Marie Hoareau saying that the team at the Seychelles Tourism Board is now complete and ready to face the increasing demands and challenges of the tourism industry.
Congratulations to Rose Marie on her appointment and all the best of success in this position to keep the momentum of the archipelago’s marketing juggernaut going on.