This month already we have greeted more visitors on the shores of Aride than has ever been done since the island became open to visitors as a nature reserve in 1978.
Already with still 5 working days to go during April we have had 509 paying guests to the island and including non paying visitors this rises up to over 560. Now this may not sound a lot but when the average years total visitor figures are in the region of 2,000, this means we have already achieved a quarter of this figure in month 1. The only month that has ever come close to this was 489 paying guests in Feb 2004, apart from this the average for this time of year is more in the region of the 300 mark.So even without electricity, running water or any of those luxuries, the Aride team is doing good, there are times when the office moves with the generator and the laptop is taken to wherever it can be charged,
or we run out of day light and there is still work to be done.
All in all this increase in figures is against all odds, the economy here in Seychelles is suffering like the rest of the world and there was a predicted 30% decline in tourism and then there are the pirates, that are currently operating in Seychelles waters. So far 3 boats have been hijacked and 10 Seychellois have been taken hostage and apparently they are only 2 hours away from here – if you believe what the papers say – won’t find much here though – have already banked the month’s money!!
We are hoping that this success is the results of the hard work we have been putting in to marketing and improving the visitor experience. With limited resources we have installed new displays in the boatshed, tarted up the shop
and generally become far more professional in the way we greet our guests, we are flexible in our opening times and welcome all shapes and sizes of boats, and it seems as though it is paying off.
Now before you get concerned that island life is getting to me and that I am craving for human company and need to be amongst large numbers of people, don’t worry I haven’t changed – still as antisocial as ever. The significance of more visitors is literally more money to spend, all the money we raise goes straight back into the island, whether it is spent on employing more staff or buying a new boat – so at the start of the financial year this will put our Chairman (who is an accountant) in a very good mood!
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