Seychelles is World's Best Island Destination

Seychelles named world’s best island destination in Africa, Middle East

Seychelles is the world’s best island destination throughout Africa and the Middle East, according to readers of the international travel magazine Travel and Leisure.

The award was announced in the magazine’s August 2006 World’s Best Awards issue, which recognizes the best hotels, islands, cruises, airlines and cities in the world, as determined by Travel and Leisure readers.

Seychelles topped Mauritius and Zanzibar in the Africa and Middle East category to win the honours for the second year running. The award was accepted on behalf of Seychelles by its Ambassador to the UN, Jérémie Bonnelame, at the “World’s Best” awards ceremony in New York on July 20.

The surveys used to determine the winners of the World’s Best Awards were made available to Travel and Leisure subscribers online during the first quarter of 2006. Respondents rated the destinations, properties and companies relevant to their recent travel experiences.

Travel and Leisure editor-in-chief, Nancy Novogrod, in her remarks during the ceremony said: “A powerful gauge of the interests and tastes of sophisticated travelers, the 2006 world’s best awards reveal a preference for places farther away, smaller, and more unique than ever before.”

According to the Seychelles Tourism Board’s chairman and CEO, Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, the award once again demonstrated the affinity and emotion shared by those who have had the Seychelles experience.

“We are thrilled that our islands have attained yet another new accolade as Travel and Leisure’s World Best Islands in Africa and the Middle East he said. “Seychelles possesses such a rich diversity of islands and potential experiences, and this award is testimony to the old saying that ‘seeing is believing.’”

Interactive lists of all the World’s Best winners are available on www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest.