Seychelles Island Foundation
P O Box 853
Victoria
Mahe
Phone: 321735
Fax: 324884 e-mail: sif@seychelles.net
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Section 1: Executive Summary
Section 2: Company Analysis
2.1. Company Profile
2.2. Vision & Mission
2.3. Present Situation
2.4. Stakeholder Analysis
2.5. SWOT Analysis
2.6. Goals & Objectives
Section 3: Market Analysis
3.1. Market Definition
3.2. PEST Analysis
3.3. Customer Profile
3.4. Competition
3.5. Strategic options
Section 4: Marketing Plan
4.1. Marketing Strategy
4.2. Product
4.3. Pricing
4.4. Place (Distribution)
4.5. Promotion
4.6. Market Forecasting
Section 5: Operational Plan
5.1. Procurement
5.2. Contractual Agreements
5.3. Fund Raising Activities
5.4. HSE activities
5.5. Preventative Maintenance
Section 6: HR Plan
6.1. Organisational structure
6.2. Staff profile
6.3. Staff Requirements
6.4. Training
6.5. Gap analysis
Section 7: Risk Plan
7.1. Risk Identification
7.2. Risk Evaluation
7.3. Risk Management
7.4. Contingency Planning
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Section 8: Financial Plan
8.1. Capital Requirements
8.2. Budget
8.3. Financial Statements
8.5. Evaluation
8.6. Funding
Section 9: Action Plan
Section 10: Appendix
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The SIF Business Plan is divided into ten sections that address the business philosophy and policies of the SIF in the management of the Seychelles two World Heritage sites of
Vallee De Mai and Aldabra.
The Business Plan is intended to cover a period of three years (2005-2008) and should be reviewed annually to monitor performance and progress.
The Business Plan is the result of a pilot project involving Consultant of Shell and Shell
Foundation, the executive management staff of the SIF and the participation of UNESCO and World Heritage Centre. It is one of a number of plans that are referenced by SIF, including a Management Plan and Operations Plan. This Business Plan differs to other plans that have been developed for SIF in that it deliberately looks at the more business side to their organistation, and not the conservation side which is much more familiar to them. This ‘business’ management of SIF is the area that has been identified for some time as lacking a strategic plan.
The Seychelles Island Foundation is a public trust established by government under the
Seychelles Island Foundation Decree of 1979. The Foundation was created to manage and protect the World Heritage Sites of Aldabra and Vallee de Mai.
Overall, the Foundation can be characterized as a leading environmental organization dedicated to ensuring that Seychelles World Heritage sites are well-managed protected areas where conservation, research, education and nature appreciative and protective tourism are sustainably balanced and financially viable.
The Foundation operates two business units at the Vallee De Mai on Praslin and Aldabra
Research Station on Aldabra atoll. The Foundation’s Head Office is based in Victoria,
Mahé.
The SIF revenue for 2003 was SR4,650,000 and the revenue from Jan – Oct 2004 stood at SR4,600,000 (#USD836,364). The revenue is expected to grow by 37% with the full operation of the new shop at Vallee de Mai, but then a drop in revenue of approximately
6% is expected when Fond Ferdinand is fully operational and attracting visitors.
The SIF main revenue stream is the tourists visiting the Vallee De Mai providing some
70% of the Foundation’s income. Over the past 5 years the visitor market at the Vallee
De Mai averaged some 50,000 visitors representing some 45% of the national tourism market.
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During the same period the tourism services market has remained volatile marked by a constant annual ups and downs in the tourist arrival figures. However the overall trend showed a steady rate. The overall tourist market for 2002 amounted to some $150 million in early 2002 which is an increase of 13% from 1997.
Despite its volatility, the overall potential of the Vallee De Mai tourist market is yet to be determined, although all indication are that it has the capacity to generate more revenue for Vallee De Mai. The area of greatest potential in this market is in the area of souvenir sales.
The major market segments are:
A.
For Vallee De Mai: This is mass tourist market consisting of general tourist visiting Seychelles, cruise ship travelers, nature lovers, couples and family groups, professional photographers and journalists, promotion agency representatives, palm enthusiasts and scientists/researchers.
B.
Aldabra: This is a niche market of selective cruise ship travelers, nature enthusiasts, specialist divers, professional photographers and journalists, rich personalities, scientists/researchers
To accomplish this goal we have developed a comprehensive plan to intensify and accelerate our marketing and sales activities, product development, services expansion, distribution and customer service.
The SIF marketing strategy is to aggressively enhance, promote and support the fact that our products are the only 2 UNESCO declared World Heritage sites of Seychelles.
The Vallee De Mai will be marketed for its unique natural beauty and the mystical palm forest that is easily accessible and has a reputation for being the Garden of Eden and one of the few sites in the world where you can see the Coco de Mai palm and the Black
Parrot.
The Aldabra will be marketed as the world’s largest raised coral atoll of extreme unique and pristineness with diverse wildlife such as the world’s largest giant tortoise population.
The Foundation currently offers the following products: a.
Nature access for tourists. b.
Photographic license to professional groups. c.
Sale of coco de mer nut as souvenir a.
Access to scientists and researchers b.
Sale of souvenir.
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To implement the business plan our advertising and promotion strategy is to position the
Foundation as the market leader in eco-tourism
.
For the purpose of implementing the new business plan for the SIF, the following promotion strategy shall be pursued:

The SIF will tender out the design and production of poster and in flight magazine advertisements. Give a 1 to 2 line description of your top means of advertising and promoting your company and products to your customers (classified ads, color catalog, etc.).
The SIF’s marketing strategy incorporates plans to sell its products through several channels that includes destination management companies, hotel desk representatives, and SIF’s own outlets.
Because of [product]'s special market characteristics], [seasonal / geographic / etc., as mentioned in your Market Analysis section], our sales strategy includes [x]

Examples: appealing to walk-in retail customers, reaching executives by direct mail, demonstrating your product in manufacturing facilities, etc.

Briefly describe how your sales strategy will address specific market / environmental conditions.
The top two business risks that SIF faces are the drop in tourism level in Seychelles in general and competition from Fond Ferdinand.
The biggest risk facing SIF in the short to medium term is competition from Fond
Ferdinand which could significantly reduce the number of visitors to Vallee de Mai and, hence, the main revenue stream of SIF. This is turn could undermine SIF’s ability to meet its conservation objectives at Aldabra. In order to mitigate against this risk, one of the initiatives proposed is to build a world class visitor centre and shop at Vallee de Mai which will offer a better educational and tourist experience to all visitors, and will sell merchandise which will improve the financial sustainability of SIF.
Entry fee to Vallee de Mai accounts for 70% of all revenue for SIF, whilst Aldabra accounted for 50% of all costs. The aim over the next three years is to increase the revenue generated from Vallee de Mai and decrease the costs of running Aldabra. In the first instance, SIF will develop yearly budgets which will be monitored through out the year by SIF and the board.
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The SIF enjoys an established track-record of excellent support and respect from our customers, however, the threat of competition by Fond Ferdinand is a risk that needs to be planned for as it is highly likely that we will lose some customers to this competition.
The proposed new visitor centre/shop is a critical aspect to mitigate against the competition risk.
Whilst the first business plan for SIF has been completed, its success is dependant on its implementation. It is recognised that there is a large amount of work is required to implement all the actions from the business plan and this cannot be done with the current resource levels. A new Project Manager is required by SIF to help implement many of the required actions, as well as freeing up current SIF employees to complete the day to day operations and to address some of the other risks and issues facing SIF which are not fully covered in this business plan, as they were not the highest priorities.
This business plan is a living document which will change over time and as a result of significant changes to SIF and its operating environment. Therefore, it is planned to review the business plan annually. In addition, there needs to be further work in monitoring the implementation of this business plan, and whether or not UNESCO can assist with this as part of the Enhancing our Heritage Management Effectiveness project.
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The Seychelles Island Foundation, (herein referred as the ’Foundation’ or ‘SIF’) is a public trust established by government under the Seychelles Island Foundation Decree of
1979 . The Foundation manages and protects the World Heritage Sites of Aldabra and
Vallee de Mai and has the President of Seychelles as patron. The Board of trustees, appointed by the President, has 14 members, including not less than five representing organizations concerned with the conservation of wildlife and natural history or national academics of science.
The SIF is a leading environmental organization dedicated to ensuring that Seychelles
World Heritage sites are well-managed protected areas where conservation, research, education and nature appreciative and protective tourism are sustainably balanced and financially viable.
The mission of the Foundation is to manage and conserve the natural life and to initiate and instigate scientific research into such natural life at the two Seychelles World
Heritage sites of Vallee De Mai and Aldabra.
The SIF revenue for 2003 was SR4,650,000 and the revenue from Jan – Oct 2004 stood at SR4,600,000 ($USD836,364).
The tourists visitor market at the Vallee De Mai has shown a steady rate of decline over the past 4 years (4.5%) reflecting the country-wide trend. (See Appendices B and C for tourism number and income details). Over the same period an average 50,000 visitors visited the Vallee De Mai which represents some 45% of the national tourism market.
Conservation activities have been proceeding as per the Aldabra and Vallee de Mai management and operational plans and most of the targets are being met at both locations. There was however, a shortfall in planned research activities at both sites but this is being addressed and it will not affect our conservation objectives.
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The Foundation is managed by a Board of Trustees, appointed by the Patron (President of the Republic) and responsible for administering the Foundation and provide advisory service to the Patron. The Board consists of a Chairman and 14 other members of whom
11 are men and 3 women.
The Foundation operates sites at the Vallee De Mai on Praslin and Aldabra Research
Station on Aldabra atoll. The Foundation’s Head Office is based in Victoria, Mahé.
For day-to-day running of the Foundation’s affairs, responsibilities and powers of the
Board are delegated to the Executive Director and Executive Officer.
Both are responsible for the preparation, implementation, supervision and monitoring of the daily operations through staff of the Foundation and collaborative activities with other agencies and the community.
Their backgrounds consist of more than 20 years experience in environmental conservation for the Executive Director, and an Executive Officer with 13 years of public and business administration experience.
The Executive Director and Executive Officer are supported by the Day-to-day
Management Operations Group consisting of:
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Executive Director
Lindsay Chong Seng
Executive Officer
Ronny Renaud
Vallee de Mai/Font Pepper
Warden
Senior Ranger
2 Rangers
2 Tranee Rangers
3 Field Workers
Research Officer
Aldabra
Warden
Logistics Manager
Head Office
Accountant
Admin Assistant
Office Assistant
Assistant Research Officer
Senior Ranger
2 Rangers
2 Trainee Rangers
Mechanic
2 Boatmen
Cook, 2 Cleaners
Field Workers
Below is a summary of the main outcomes of the SWOT analysis of SIF. A complete
SWOT analysis is attached in Appendix A
Strengths
SIF is unique in that it manages two World Heritage Sites and both are extremely good assets. Vallee de Mai is known globally by tourists and Aldabra globally by scientists, conservationists and environmentalists. With this reputation, Vallee de Mai has been able to secure a large market share (40%) of the tourists who visit the Seychelles.
Weakness
A well recognised weakness of SIF is it’s heavy dependence on only one revenue stream to finance two sites. Vallee de Mai generates 70% of SIF’s revenues and Aldabra accounts for 50% of our operational costs.
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Opportunity
Any increase in revenue that can be generated at Vallee de Mai would help in the financial stability of SIF and is a major opportunity. Another opportunity and an area of focus in the next three years will be to enhance the already good relationship with international organizations such as Universities and the Royal Society, to increase the number and improve the relevance of the research being undertaken at both Aldabra and
Vallee de Mai.
Threat
One of the threats facing the SIF (similarly for all of the Seychelles) is the steady decline in tourist numbers over the last four years (4.5%). Perhaps the most serious, short term threat is the impending competition from Fond Ferdinand. If Vallee de Mai were to experience a decrease in revenue, this would put at risk the financial viability of SIF, and therefore the ability to manage and conserve both Vallee de Mai and Aldabra.
Below is a list of the key goals and objectives for SIF over the period covered in this business plan: 2005 – 2008.
1.
Improve protection and conservation of SIF managed protected sites a.
Develop a relevant monitoring program to review all research activities b.
Maximize research activities c.
Improve knowledge capital (attract more people with Masters and PhDs) d.
Reduction in the number of alien species in both sites and prevent the introduction of any new alien species e.
Restore damaged areas f.
Review policies and procedures for boats and visitors in Aldabra (to ensure minimum impact of human factor). We have already reviewed and implemented new procedure for cruise-ships, yachts and other boats visiting
Aldabra. All shipping agents, yacht charterers, the Fishery and Port authorities have been notified of this. We also undertake regular preventive maintenance on our buoys at Aldabra.
2.
Improve financial and business management of SIF a.
Improve financial independence. Current ratio of self generating income/total income is 0.6, target 0.8 to be achieved by 2006 b.
Develop detail Budgets and track quarterly them for all sites / operations
( Budget 2005 was developed and tracked on monthly basis with financial reports provided to Board of Trustees at each meetings ) c.
Reduce “unnecessary costs”, e.g. maintenance and purchasing ( We have attempted to reduce maintenance cost for Aldabra by getting new equipment:
Computers equipment; new boat with new engines –Tyomityo II; replaced
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plumbing system; install new vsat - albeit the teething problems; introduced regular maintenance schedules for generator sets, aircon systems, outboard engines, etc ) d.
Use new technologies to reduce cost ( vsat has been installed in November for better communications; e.
Improve staff skills ( 3 staff from Vallee De Mai are undergoing computer training; 8 staff from the site successfully completed Intermediate First Aid training; ) f.
Reduce number of job descriptions (more generic roles) ( This project is delayed due to staff constraint but will be activiated within the next 2 months) g.
Evaluate moving to own building ( SIF has moved to its new office)
3.
Maintain Vallee de Mai in the position of being the most popular tourist site in the
Seychelles a.
Keep attracting 40% of the tourists in Seychelles ( All indications are that we had # 6% increase in visitors to the Vallee DE Mai in 2005 compared to 2004 )
4.
Develop strategic partnerships a.
Investigate scientific or environmental partners who will attract more research undertaken in Aldabra b.
Develop skill sharing / exchange programs with other NGOs ( We have engaged the Conservation Section of the Ministry of Environment and 2 research )
5.
Improve communications with the community and stakeholders
6.
Improve community participation in conservation efforts of the SIF
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The objective is to create a Marketing plan as a component of the Business Plan for the
Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF). The Marketing plan aims to provide stakeholders with the marketing strategy developed to achieve the overall objectives of the SIF.
The market in which the SIF operates could be defined as a matured eco-tourism tourism market.
Over the past 5 years the tourism services market has remained volatile marked by a constant annual ups and downs in the tourist arrival figures. However the overall trend showed a steady rate. The overall tourist market for 2002 amounted to some $150 million in early 2002 which is an increase of 13% from 1997.
The SIF operates in a natural sites management portfolio, with one role being to provide access to tourists visiting these two distinct tourism locations of the Vallee De Mai palm forest and the Aldabra atoll. The market characteristic of the Vallee De Mai is that of a mass market, whilst that of the Aldabra is a niche market for specialist groups of nature lovers, researchers and scientists.
The overall size of the mass tourism market is approximately 125,000 visitors with
Vallee De Mai capturing some 40% of the market.
The stability of these market segments is viewed as fairly solid and continuously expanding marked by an increased level of tourists enhancing their visitor experience by visiting different islands in the granitic group of the Seychelles.
Industry forecasters predict for the next two years this market will continue to grow as more visitors take on the trend in island hopping.
Below are the key points in defining the market segments:
Product
Vallée De Mai

Nature access for

Nature access features tourist

Photographic license

Lease of shop for tourist

Photographic license

Merchandising

Coco de mer

Merchandising of t-shirts, books etc..
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Lifestyle of customers


Tourists to Seychelles
Couples and families between 30 to 50 years

Animal adoption scheme

Research reports

Mostly rich personalities

Nature enthusiasts

Seasoned divers

Mostly
Europeans and


Scientists and researchers

Coco de mer dealers
Tour operator
Geographical location

Mostly Europeans

<5% Local residents

Local and international
Seasonality

Visits are daily.
Americans

Periodic visit –
November to
April

Visits are daily
The major market segments are:
C.
For Vallee De Mai: mass tourist market and
D.
Aldabra: Niche market of selective eco-tourist, researchers and scientists.
Below is a list of customers of the SIF group, with a detailed template presented in
Appendix E:
Vallee De Mai
Vallee De Mai handles an average 50,000 visitors per year. The existing and potential customers of Vallee De Mai include general tourist visiting Seychelles, cruise ship travelers, nature lovers, couples and family groups, professional photographers and journalists, promotion agency representatives, palm enthusiasts and scientists/researchers.
More details about visitors to Vallee De Mai are presented in Appendices F and G.
The market is distributed as followed:

General tourists: 70%

Couples & Family groups: 15%

Cruise ship travelers: 5%

Profession groups: 3%

Others: 7%
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Aldabra
Aldabra receives an average of 600 visitors per year. The existing and potential customers of Aldabra include cruise ship travelers, nature enthusiasts, specialist divers, professional photographers and journalists, rich personalities, scientists/researchers.
The market is distributed as followed:

Cruise ship travelers: 85%

Specialist divers: 10%

Others: 5%
SIF Head Office
SIF Head Office handles different group of customers namely those selling SIF products to tourists. The existing and potential customers of SIF Head Office include tour operators, cruise ship agents, coco de mer dealers, and science and research organizations.
The market is distributed as followed:

Coco de Mer dealers: 45%

Tour operators: 25%

Cruise ship agents: 10%

Research organizations & individuals:

Others: 5%
15%
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For the purpose of the macro-economic environmental analysis, the PEST Analysis model was used and the complete analysis is shown in Appendix D
The PEST Analysis provides the SIF with the tool to assess the Political, Economic,
Social and Technological external factors that may affect its business performance over the period of the plan.
This tool is considered a very useful framework to help management develop a more complete picture of the company’s external environment and enable it to address risks posed by the business’ macroeconomic environment.
Some of the main features of the PEST Analysis that are applicable to the SIF are:
• Political (& Legal): The SIF is by status of a public trust set up under an act of law; SIF enjoys customs and trade tax exemptions from government against all imports by the Foundation and duty free fuel; SIF is also exempted from paying Business Tax; It is backed up by various environmental laws for protections of bio-diversity and a strong political commitment from government.
•
Economic: Seychelles enjoys a per capita income of some USD7,000, low unemployment level and an ever expanding economy which contributes to the foreign exchange shortages
•
Social (& Environmental): Seychelles has a fairly young population who enjoys good lifestyles marked by a taste for fashion and keeping up with international trend. Seychelles enjoys 90% literacy rate with most people being tri-lingual (English, French and Kreol). Seychellois also enjoys traveling overseas for holidays and shopping. The civil society enjoys support of government and there are a number of environmental pressure groups dedicated to environmental protection and conservation.
•
Technological: The introduction and use of new technology in industries is reasonably fast and easily accepted.
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4.1.1. The Products
One of the four elements of the marketing mix is the Product section . It considered an important part of the Marketing Plan and it describes the goods and services that the SIF is offering to its customers.
This Plan provides a list of the unique features of your goods and services and their benefits to our customers.
Vallee De Mai d.
Nature access for tourists : This offers access to a unique endemic palm forest of extreme natural beauty and for enjoying its wild-life. All adult tourists pay an entrance fee of USD 15. Locals do not pay to visit the Vallee De Mai. e.
Photographic license : Professional photographers and journalist are required to pay an filming fee of USD1,000 to undertake documentary filming and take photographic pictures of the Vallee De Mai. f.
Sale of coco de mer nuts : Some coco de mer palm nuts are collected by the SIF in the Vallee De Mai and sold to tourists and locals as a unique souvenir product.
The natural beauty of the coco de mer nut through its resemblance of the torso provides a rare and unique product to be bought as souvenir. The nut cost approximately some USD200.
Aldabra c.
Nature access for tourists : This offers opportunity of access to environmental enthusiast and nature lovers to this unique atoll of extremely diverse wildlife. All visiting tourists pay a landing fee of USD100 per day and have access to visit a limited number of areas on the atoll demarcated as tourist access zones. d.
Photographic license : Professional photographers and journalist are required to pay an filming fee of USD5,000 to undertake documentary filming and take photographic pictures of the Aldabra atoll. e.
Access for research : Aldabra offers a vast arena of opportunity for research of unique species and unspoilt eco-systems. The SIF offers the scientific potential of the Aldabra atoll to scientists and researchers to undertake research project on the atoll. A fee of USD 350 per day is required for payment for accommodation and logistical support of the SIF. f.
Sale of souvenir : The research station on Aldabra holds souvenir sales to cruiseship and other visitors to on a limited product line of Aldabra t-shirts, videos, coffee table books, and post cards, etc..
4. 1.2. SIFs’ customers
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Vallee De Mai
In 2002 the Vallee De Mai received 55,000 visiting tourists. The figure dropped to some
52300 in 2003 (5 % reduction) and 47,600 (further 9% reduction) in 2004. Of these visitors 80% are from Europeans, from France, United Kingdom, Italy and Germany.
Most visitors are between the ages of 30 to 55 years, with children under the age of 12 years old amounting to an average of 3000 for the past 3 years.
It is estimated that a fairly large proportion of the visitors (40%) come either in family group or as couples.
Of the total visitors into the Vallee De Mai some 33% of these undertake their visit through a tour operator, with the other 67% coming either by bus, taxi or in rented vehicles.
In view of the cost involve for tourists visiting Seychelles we estimate that visitors to
Vallee De Mai are from the middle to high income bracket.
Aldabra
Aldabra on average receives between 400 to 600 visiting tourists per year in view of the difficulties associated with accessing the atoll. Most visitors are from small to medium size ships that visits the atoll from November to April each year.
The visitors are mostly Americans and Europeans between the age of 40 to 65 years and enjoys visiting islands and destinations renowned for their richness in biodiversity.
More than 80% of the visitors come either in family group or as couples and book their trips through expedition agencies.
Aldabra is always considered in the cruise package for its uniqueness and pristine environment and is recommended to these expedition agencies by local shipping agencies.
Most cruise-ship visitors to Aldabra are from the high income bracket and like to visit various sites on the atoll to appreciate the sight of the giant land tortoise, large frigate bird colony and extreme natural beauty of the undersea world.
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This section of the plan aims to provide an insight of the SIF market strategy by describing the Foundation’s market positioning, marketing targets, pricing and promotion strategies .
4.2.1
. SIF’s market positioning
The SIF’s market Positioning refers to the way which customers perceive the organization and its’ products, relative to the competition by answering the following questions:
•
Who is the brand for (i.e. the Target Group)
•
What is the competition (i.e. the Competitive Frame)
•
Why should the customer prefer this brand instead of the competition
Valle de Mai
Valle de Mai is a World Heritage site providing leisure and excursion facilities for people visiting the Seychelles. The site has a nature walk and examples of the rare coco de mer palm. The Vallee De Mai shall be positioned as the market leader in nature reserves.
The site will be marketed for its unique natural beauty and the mystical palm forest and is conveniently located to cater for a short 40 minute visit and fascinating enough to stay for half a day.
Valle de Mai will be portrayed for its reputation as being the Garden of Eden and is one of the few sites in the world where you can see the Coco de Mai palm and the Black
Parrot.
Attention will be given to the competition from excursion operators, Fond Ferdinand and
Curieuse nature reserve.
Aldabra
Aldabra is the world’s largest raised coral atoll. It is home the world’s largest giant tortoise population as well as a range of unique wild life such as the Aldabra Drongo, the last flightless bird in the Indian Ocean, the rail, and the Aldabra lily. It is considered a living laboratory for scientists and researches who wish to observe an untouched, complete ecosystem.
Aldabra’s competition includes top dive locations within the Indian Ocean and
Galapagos.
The atoll will be positioned as a special destination for niche eco-tourism market with the reasons for customer preference marketed as a unique and pristine atoll with diverse wildlife and a world heritage site.
With regards to the scientific community, universities will be targeted and the atoll will be positioned as an unspoilt living laboratory with a lot of untapped potential especially
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on the marine ecosystem. Aldabra will be presented as being a place where post-graduate research can be undertaken where human impact variable is virtual non-existent.
SIF
SIF is the organization responsible for the management of the two World Heritage Sites,
Aldabra and Valle de Mai. SIF Head Office looks after the day to day running of the sites as well as the development of merchandising, and the promotion and selling of the
Coco de Mer from the Valle de Mai. SIF also sell the wholesale tickets to Valle de Mai.
In terms of the merchandising, the main customers are Seychelles tourists, dealers and book shops. For Coco de Mer, the main customers are dealers, tour guides and tourists to the Seychelles.
The SIF Head Office will be positioned as a reputable organization of high international prestige with extensive network. It will also be marketed as one offering the widest selection of coco de mer at the lowest price and is the only seller of Aldabra specific merchandise. .
4.2.2 Marketing Objectives:
The SIF had proposed the following as its main business objectives for implementation during the next 3 years.
Valle de Mai

Maintain 40% of visitors to the Seychelles visiting Valle de Mai

Increase SIF revenue by ensuring that visitors spend on average US$6 each on merchandise or food at SIF shop.

Have 4 specific research activities at Valle de Mai per year with results being published by end 2006

Double the number of local school children visiting Valle de Mai by end of 2006
Aldabra

Increase to 6 per year the number of research activities resulting in publication
SIF

Obtain $20 million for a Trust Fund for SIF
With this marketing plan the SIF aims to primarily maintain its market share, especially with regards to tourists visiting the Vallee De Mai. The plan also aims to improve SIF sales at the Valle De Mai by improving the range and quality of merchandise sold to tourists. This would enable the shop to achieve its business objective of getting an added value of USD6 on each visitor going into the Vallee De Mai.
The SIF also recognise that other market segments like the scientific and research group can be potentially in view of its attractiveness to enhance the reputation of the two world heritage site among the scientific community and help the SIF achieve its scientific objectives for species and resource conservation and protection.
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Both Vallee De Mai and Aldabra are sites that with potential for further scientific research to be undertaken in view of the richness of its bio-diversity and the potential benefits of science to generate more publicity and interest from both scientific institutions and general public.
4.2.3 Promotion
The SIF presently does very little locally and international to actively promote its products and services. Promotion activities are restricted to the occasional publishing of a newsletter, or an exhibition on Vallee De Mai and Aldabra and a few press releases associated with some special events relating to the SIF.
For the purpose of implementing the new business plan for the SIF, the following promotion strategy shall be pursued:
Valle de Mai
The SIF will tender out the design and production of poster and in flight magazine advertisements. The scope shall cover the need to attract couples 30-50 and present the following features of the mystical Valle de Mai:

World Heritage status

Unspoilt,

Natural,

Once in a life time excursion,

Safe,

Unique,

Original Garden of Eden,

Grand setting and Cathedral like,

Serene,

Easy to get to and

Easily accessible
Magazines: Air Seychelles (first priority); Qatar Airways; and, Emirates Airline .
Poster Placement: Airports (Mahe & Praslin); All hotels; inter-island ferries; Museums;
Tourist information bureau.
Articles for in flight magazine: Executive Director and an external Consultant will write the articles and submit to magazine publishers.
Hotel Greeting nights: SIF representative will talk to hotel managers with the aim of developing a suitable power point presentation with movies and audio. The presentation can be played to hotel guests with no SIF staff present. Rotate visits to hotels by small team of promoters who will take examples of Coco de Mer.
Hotels graded 3 stars and above will be targeted.
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Maps: SIF will place advertisement in free maps that are given to tourists. Use the advertisement (or part of) that is developed for in flight magazine.
Aldabra
Organise and promote a fully 2 week visit to Aldabra for multi discipline researches with the aim of encouraging follow up research visits. Trip to be organised by SIF but paid for by attendees.
Science committee shall develop a letter for e-mailing/mailing to universities which explains the trip and options for research. Send letters to SIF contacts at university, as well as 20 other per country after finding out contact details. Include in mail out an example of a published research document.
This will be a trial and at large cost but potentially generating a large scientific interest.
SIF are willing to take a loss of 150,000 Rupee if the trip is not filled but all efforts will be made to break even.
SIF
A sub committee has been established to set up a trust fund for SIF. The sub committee has appointed a person with experience in managing a Foundation to raise $20 million to establish the fund. SIF will monitor the progress of this sub committee but will not be involved in its operation.
Effectiveness
The SIF intends to judge the effectiveness of your promotion in terms of cost effectiveness. We will use the Seychelles Tourist Bureau airport questionnaire to ask basic questions about Valle de Mai:

Did you visit the Valle de Mai?

Why did you visit the Valle de Mai?

Where did you hear about the Valle de Mai?
SIF also intends to implement the promotions one by one and look at visitor numbers, so that the effectiveness of each promotional activity can be measured. Below is an approximate budget for the promotional activities above:
Poster design
Posters
Brochure design
Brochures
Number Price SR
Once 2000
500
Once
10,000
2500
1500
12500
Advertisement 2 40000
TOTAL COST 58500
22

Pricing
The pricing policy of the SIF can be classified as followed:
VDM :
Access into the Vallee De Mai by tourists is priced at USD15 or €15 as Entrance Fee.
The rate for the Entrance Fee was introduced in April 2003 and represented an increase from USD10. The decision for an increase in the Entrance Fee was decided by the Board of Trustees in 2002 in order to maximize revenue for the SIF in anticipation of the declining tourism industry. Our competitors from Curieuse Island Nature Reserve and
Cousin Island Nature Reserve charge USD15 and USD25 respectively, as land fee.
As a producer of Coco de mer nuts SIF sells the nut at USD200 for a fully shaped nut and
USD100 for a ‘misshaped’ nut. The price for coco de mer nuts is regulated by government under an Act of Law. Our competitors from Praslin Development Fund and
Environment Trust Fund sell their nuts at the same price. Retailers in the art and craft business sell the shaped nuts to tourist for a price of between USD300 to 450.
The Filming fee USD1,000 is charged to for journalists and professional photographers undertaking documentaries and other filming or photographic project inside the Vallee
De Mai. The SIF may give discounted price to filming groups that agree to provide a promotional slot on the organization as part of the documentary.
Aldabra :
Access to Aldabra by tourists is priced as a Landing Fee of USD100 per day. The rate for the Landing Fee was introduced in April 2001 and remains to date. Our competitor the
Island development Company charges USD20 or €20 per person as land fee for any tourists visiting the outer islands managed by the company.
The Filming fee USD5,000 is charged to for journalists and professional photographers undertaking documentaries and other filming or photographic project on Aldabra. The
SIF may give discounted price to filming groups that agree to provide a promotional slot on the organization as part of the documentary.
23

The Seychelles Island Foundation manages two natural UNESCO declared World
Heritage sites with unique operational challenges. The remote nature of Aldabra poses specific logistical and procurement issues, whilst the large number of visitors in Valle de
Mai results in health and safety risks. To date the existing Operations Manuals have provided day-to-day guidance in the management of the sites, however, they focus mainly on conservation issues. Over the next two years, SIF has committed to expand the existing plans and include more detail procedures in the areas of procurement, contractual agreements, health, safety & environment (HSE) and preventative maintenance.
In terms of procurement, SIF is currently investing a large number of human resources in purchasing goods and services, especially for the remote Aldabra site. Over the next twelve months, SIF will consider alternative procurement practices such as outsourcing of supplies for Aldabra with the aim of improving timeliness of deliveries to the supply boat and reducing costs.
The transportation of goods to Aldabra is also under consideration. Currently, the site is supplied via a third-party boat every two months. The possibility of purchasing an SIF boat will also be evaluated.
SIF does not have any long-term contractual agreements, as the majority of goods are purchased on a spot basis. With the aim to reduce high purchasing and inventory costs,
SIF will develop contracts with key suppliers in a two years time-frame.
HSE processes and procedures are becoming increasingly stringent globally, resulting in a need for SIF to review their current policies. Additional local change drivers are:

The remoteness of the Aldabra site and with this the ability to respond to an HSE incident

And the large number of tourists inflowing to Valle de Mai.
Over the next two years, SIF will undertake a review on the minimum HSE requirements according to local legislation and examine best practices of other World Heritage sites.
Priorities were given to the training of at least 2 Aldabra staff in First Aid in 2005. At the
Vallee De Mai 8 employees were trained in intermediate First Aid For 2006 priority will be given to the upgrading of the Aldabra clinic in 2006. Over the next 3 years SIF will also organize at least 1 visit annually by a Medical Officer or a Senior Nurse to Aldabra .
Preventative maintenance is particularly applicable to the Aldabra site, due to the timing required to replace unplanned breakdowns. Whilst SIF already practices preventative procedures, this is an area where it seeks further improvement over the next two years.
24

SIF is a small organization with 25 employees based in three locations. The Headquarters of SIF are based in Mahe, Victoria and the two World Heritage Sites that are managed are the Aldabra Atoll and Vallee de Mai. (see diagram below).
Location : Mahe, Victoria
Distance from HQ : NA
Comments : manages two sites & main Coco-de-Mer outlet
Number of Employees on site : 5
SIF Headquarters
Aldabra Atoll Site Vallee de Mai Site
Location : Aldabra Atoll
Distance from HQ : 1000 km away
Comments : no airstrip – remote access
Number of Employees on site : 12 (currently)
Location : Praslin Island
Distance from HQ : 30 km away
Comments : easily accessible
Number of Employees on site : 11 (currently)
The Headquarters (HQ) houses 5 employees, including the Executive Director and the
Executive Officer. The main activities performed in the HQ are:

Management of the two natural World Heritage sites,

Finance & Accounting,

Sales of merchandise (including Coco de Mer),

Human Resources,

Fund Raising Activities and

Communication.
The Aldabra Atoll site (a natural World Heritage site) is strict nature reserve that has 12 employees. The main job roles there are:

Site Warden,

Research Officer,

Logistics Manger,

Rangers,

Mechanics,

Boatmen etc.
25

Their main activities are to: monitor research activities, prevent poaching, maintain the facilities and guide visitors.
The Vallee de Mai site (also a natural World Heritage site) is a commercially viable site that has 9 employees. The main jobs there are: Site Warden, Rangers, Field Workers, and
Cleaners etc * . Their main activities are to: validate entry tickets, maintain paths and trails, prevent poaching, fire prevention, safety of visitors and collection of Coco de Mer nuts.
For a detail organizational chart, please review the Appendix H.
New staff requirement
SIF: The activities involved with implementing this business plan will be very time consuming and also requires some skills that are not currently represented in the SIF management team. It is proposed that a new member SIF of staff be recruited who would be responsible for the following:

Project Management of new shop

Oversea the design, selection and management of new merchandising for new shop, along with shop manager

Fundraising focal point for SIF to work with fundraising committee

Implementation of marketing strategy for Vallee de Mai and research at Aldabra

Develop proposals for further SIF projects and the project management of such projects (for example, new fuel logistics for Aldabra, expansion of Vallee de Mai area)
The employment of this new person will free up Lindsay to focus on other areas such as research co-ordination and marketing, strategic partnership and relationship building with scientific community and local community. It would also free up Ronny to focus on HR issues, such as job description review, personnel exchange programme, and improving cost efficiencies on Aldabra and general management of budgets and costs.
It is proposed that this person be recruited as soon as possible. The 2005 budget includes
55,000 SR as the labor costs of this, which assumes this person is employed for half of the year. 2006 onward assumes this labor cost to be 110,000 SR plus yearly inflation.
Vallee De Mai shop : In line with the proposed development and building of a new visitors centre and merchandising shop at Vallee de Mai to be owned and managed by
SIF, the following additional staff will be recruited:

1 Shop Manager reporting to the Warden. Her/His responsibilities will include the overseeing the sales of the Entrance Tickets and managing sales activities in the shops, merchandise selection and development.

3 Sales Clerk/Cashier reporting to the Shop Manager. Their roles would include manning the cash points in the shops and attending to visitors in the shops.
* Please note that sale of merchandise and tickets are presently outsourced to an external contractor.
26


1 Shop Attendant responsible to the Shop Manager. S/He would assist with maintaining general cleanliness of the shops and attending to requests from clients for drinks and snacks.
Recruitment of the above staff will be undertaken in 2 stages, with the first stage earmarked for June 2006 where the Shop Manager would be recruited. Advert for this position would be done in March 2006 and the interviewing done early April 2006 .
The advert for the recruitment of the other staff would be done in June 2006 , followed by the interview in July and new staff enrolment in August of that year.
For the purpose of implementing the new Vallee De Mai shop project, the SIF will outsource the services of a Project Manager.
Aldabra: It has been identified that if further research activities are to be undertaken at
Aldabra, there may be a need to be an increase in logistical staff based at Aldabra including an extra boat man and two extra rangers. These resource requirements have not been planned for or considered in the budget , as it will depend on the type of research undertaken, by whom and when. This will be investigated further when more research activities start to take place.
27

The Risk Plan implements proactive risk management as part of the ‘business’ management strategy of the SIF by providing it with the tool to assess and mitigate events that might adversely impact the implementation of its business plan, thereby increasing the likelihood of success. Conservation risks were not considered as these have been covered in the past and are managed in the SIF management and operations plans
This risk plan aims to:
Identify key elements of risk that might influence SIF’s ability to achieve cost, schedule, and performance goals,
Provide risk information for key decisions (i.e. budget and funding priorities)
Allow for continuous monitoring of key factors that may alter the outcome of the business plan during implementation stage
The Risk Plan identifies, analyzes, prioritizes, and tracks risk drivers; develops contingency plans; and plans for adequate resources to handle risk.
The Risk Plan has been initiated in response to the major threat factors identified in the
SWOT analysis in this business plan. It is required in order to support the fundamental objectives of minimizing the vulnerability of the SIF to implement its programs. For the purposes of our analysis we identified and assessed all potential risks in terms of:
Impact (financial and environmental) and
Likelihood of occurrence
A summary of the risks identified in the framework is illustrated in the diagram below:
28

The key risk areas identified for SIF were:
1. Competition from Fond Ferdinand:
The Vallee De Mai product is presently considered unrivalled as a natural site for visitors to Seychelles. Over the past years it has attracted an average 40% of tourists visiting
Seychelles. A second natural site of Fond Ferdinand is presently gearing up to enter the market and will create a ‘dent’ in the SIF market share. Its entry into the market is being viewed as a risk factor of high probability and with high impact.
2. Market Shifts:
The fluctuating visitor level to the Vallee De Mai and Aldabra atoll is perceived as a critical market risk factor. Especially for the Vallee de Mai, a significant drop in the number of tourist visiting the site will directly affect revenue and will potentially jeopardize the implementation of programs at both the Head Office and Aldabra (since these sites are financially dependent on the earnings from the Vallee de Mai). In addition, the revenues from Aldabra have been significantly affected from the number of visiting cruise ships in the Atoll. These risks factor, although of high impact, are outside the SIF direct span of control.
3. Government Intervention:
The SIF was set up by the Seychelles Government as a public trust and its operations are subjected to various government rules and regulations. The recent setting up of new bodies (like the Praslin Development Fund) carries certain risk in that government may in future decide to split the management of the two sites of Vallee De Mai and Aldabra.
29

Other decisions relating to changes in foreign exchange regulations or management of the
Coco de Mer palm forest may also impact SIF operations.
4. Relationship Management Issues:
SIF deals with a variety of individuals (local communities, tourists etc), Government bodies, NGOs, International bodies (IUCN, Unesco), private institutions, universities, research centers and regulatory agencies. Managing and creating efficient relationships with these groups is difficult and require constant attention. The risk elements in these relationships are perceived to be moderately high and with a moderate likelihood of occurrence.
5. Safety and Security:
Safety and security risks were also considered within the risk evaluation framework. The major risks in this area were poaching, vandalism and people safety. Whilst the likelihood of occurrence for poaching was found to be between low to medium, the potential negative environmental impact of increased poaching activities especially on
Aldabra was seen to warrant attention. In terms of people’s safety, whilst the likelihood of serious security problems occurring at both sites is found to be between low to medium, a serious security incident will have a moderate impact on the SIF and the risk needs to be addressed over the next 2 years.
6. Natural Disasters:
Considering that SIF is responsible for the management of two natural World Heritage
Sites, natural disasters are perceived as important risks. For example, accidental or deliberate fire in the Vallee De Mai has low to medium probability but will have a high impact if it occurred (in both financial and environmental terms). Other risk elements to be considered are:
 global warming effects,
 coral bleaching,
 arrival of alien species,
 major storms (destroying the Coco-de-Mer palms), etc.
7. Human Resources Issues:
The SIF risk evaluation framework also considered several HR risks like:

Loss of key staff,

Strikes at Vallee de Mai site,

Leakage and frauds etc.
For the above risk factors, both risk impact and likelihood of occurrence were perceived to be low.
For the key risks identified, SIF has developed appropriate risk responses. These include:

Risk Description

Risk link to business objectives

Risk Owner
30

Current Risk Response / Actions
Specifically, the risk responses assign measurable responsibilities to SIF management and prescribe the documenting, monitoring, and reporting processes to be followed. They aim to use the actual organizational hierarchy to manage the business risks of the SIF, where the Executive Director and the Executive Officer act as Risk Owners of a limited number of risks. The site Wardens will be responsible for implementing risk management tasks assigned by the Owner in line with the plan. The risk responses of the high priority risk items can be found in the Appendices I, J and K and summarized below.
To mitigate against the risk of competition and subsequent loss of revenue, SIF plan to build a new shop and visitors centre which will be managed by SIF. The range of merchandise will be improved as will the overall experience for the visitor. There will also be new promotional material developed and media advertising for VDM will be increased.
The main action that has been developed to respond to the risk of reduced tourists to the
Seychelles, and therefore to VDM, is to ramp up marketing and promotional efforts for
VDM. The target customers will be independent travelers and tour operators and a comprehensive marketing and promotional strategy will be developed for both in the first quarter of 2006.
The third high impact/high likelihood risk which is being addressed is the risk of government intervention. This risk includes the possibility of government changing the mandate of the SIF through legislation, whilst in other instances it could involve splitting the management of the two World Heritage Sites. A full risk response needs to be developed to mitigate this risk and this is planned to be completed by August 2005 .
31

The past 5 years has seen SIF experience large swings in its yearly profits, mainly as a result of large changes in operating costs and funding amounts. For example, in 2004
SIF made a profit of 1,555,292SR, but in 2003, SIF registered a loss of 447,187 SR.
External funding has been falling significantly over the last 5 years .
Historically, SIF has received external funding from the Seychelles government of approximately 400,000
SR/annum, but recently it has been reduced to 100,000 SR/annum and in 2005 the
Seychelles Government did not provide any funding. The Royal Society has been a faithful donor with contributions of approximately £5,000, but their ongoing support is not guaranteed. UNESCO provided emergency funding in 2004 when extraordinary expenses were incurred due to critical equipment breakdown, thus highlighting the vulnerable financial position of SIF
There is one main source of revenue for SIF which represents 70% of all revenue, and this is the sale of tickets to Vallee de Mai. On average 50,000 foreigners visit VDM, all paying US$15 for entry into the site (This number excludes children under 12 who enter free of charge) Having only one revenue stream is quite high risk, coupled with the fact that the opportunity to change the price of the tickets is limited by resistance from a range of stakeholders.
In contrast to this Aldabra represents almost 50% of the total SIF expenses but generates almost no direct income. Aldabra staff costs alone amount to 1 million SR/annum. This cross subsidy has existed for the life of SIF and is not predicted to change in the medium term.
To achieve the SIF conservation goals it is important that we have financial sustainability since these goals are long term and it will free us from demands for commercial activities like tourism and sale of tortoises and other natural products. The lack of financial stability also makes it difficult for SIF to establish any medium or long-term strategy, as
SIF cannot be sure that it will have the money required to fund such strategies. The threat from the serious rival location, Fond Ferdinand, is critical as it will inevitably reduce the number of visitors to VDM. The proceeding marketing plan aims to stabilise the number of visitors as much as possible and to earn more from each visitor to the site.
The main recommendation in the plan is to build a new shop and visitors’ facility at
VDM which SIF will manage. This proposal will require major capital investment which will need to be financed both commercially and with alternative funding.
32

One area which required improvement was the establishment and tracking of yearly budgets to ensure the expenses are understood and under control. Appendix K shows the first established budget for SIF covering the next three years. 2005 figures are based on
2003 and 2004 with appropriate adjustments for RPI .
It also includes all expenses resulting from the marketing strategy and promotional activities, such as airline magazine advertisements, A2 posters and A4 flyers. One objective for 2005 is to decrease the operational expenses of Aldabra by making the operations more efficient. This is not reflected in the 2005 budget as the exact area of efficiency improvements, or the amount, is not known at this stage, but more than likely will come from a reduction in logistics, transport and procurement.
The 2006 and 2007 figures are estimates at this stage and will be updated in Dec 2005 and Dec 2006 respectively. These budgets include predicted incomes and expenses for the new shop to be established at Vallee de Mai.
The strategy for 2006 onwards is to have another major revenue stream from sale of merchandise at a new store at VDM. (see project capital requirements and marketing strategy) and all assumptions are detailed in Appendix L).
The actual performance compared to budget will be tracked and presented to the board quarterly.
This business plan has identified that there is a need for SIF to take back the existing shop at Vallee de Mai and replace it with a new shop and visitors centre which will increase the income generated at Vallee de Mai as well as offer the visitors a more enjoyable tourist experience. By moving all of the parking facilities across the road from the current location, we will be able to build a new visitor facility of 330 square meters.
The main functions will be the sale of tickets, sale of snacks and refreshments, sale of souvenirs and an information/education facility.
The capital requested to build and stock the new shop is 2 million SR and is required over the period February 2006 – September 2006 . A further 100,000 SR is assumed to be required in five years time to replace miscellaneous redundant equipment.
1.1 million of this is required in foreign exchange because of current exchange of materials and labour. Barclays Bank has indicated that they are willing to provide funding of up to US$220,000 with an interest rate of 5% over LIBOR. Libor is presently
2.790% on US$. Repayment on the loan is 4110 US $ per month (over 66 months, inclusive of interest), as the bank has said that they will only provide finance for 5.5 years.
33

We assume we will be able to run the facility with a total of 5 persons including a shop manager. Our merchandise assumptions were based on surveys we did by looking at tourist shop and deciding on a typical range of goods ranging from real coco de mers to replicas and ice-creams. We assume a mark up of 75 to 125% will be feasible.
Because at this stage, the banks are not willing to fund 100% of the capital requirements, a further $200,000 is required from non-commercial sources. Options for this funding are: The World Bank marine initiatives that are currently running in the region,
Government, Fundraising via the Aldabra Foundation and UNESCO.
Further work needs to be done in the area of alternative financing before the project can commence.
Any additional interest associated with this additional funding has not been considered in the capital proposal financial analysis.
The establishment of the new shop will provide a new revenue stream which will help secure the financial viability of SIF. Based on the assumptions above and shown in more detail in Appendix L, the NPV of the capital proposal is $US150,015, the IRR is
15% and t0he payback period is 5.5 years. This assumes that $US200,000 is commercial finance and needs to be paid back and $US200,000 is grant money that does not require paying back. If the financial analysis is completed assuming all of the money needs to be paid back, the project is just negative in terms of IRR and NPV, ie there is no financial benefit to complete the project, given all of the assumption.
34

Finalise capital proposal for new Shop and seek final board approval.
Review Qrt 1 actual spend to budget and present to board
Finalise design of new SIF promotional material
Submit first advertisements in magazines and map,
Conduct first hotel information night and place new posters in selected sites
Subject to board approval, recruit new project manager
Review, with the aim of reducing number of job descriptions
Begin programme to enhance relationships with tour guide operators
Review Qrt2 actual spend to budget and present to board
Develop skill sharing / exchange programs with other NGOs
Subject to board approval, finalise plans and budget for shop
Subject to board approval, finalise plan for project finance shortfall
Review Qrt3 actual spend to budget and present to board
Shop Manager recruited
Finalise budget for 2006 and seek approval from board
Publish results of 4 specific research activities at Vallee de Mai
Subject to board approval, begin new shop construction
Review 2005 actual spend to budget and present to board
Additional shop staff recruited
Review and update business plan for 2006, including action plan
Subject to board approval, finish construction of new shop
LCS 6/05
RR 5/05
RR 12/05
RR 10/05
RR 04/06
LCS 7/05
RR 05/06
LCS 8/05
RR 8/05
RR 8/05
LCS 9/05
RR 10/05
RR 11/05
RR 06/06
LCS 12/05
LCS 12/05
LCS 03/06
RR 2/06
RR 06/06
LCS 3/06
LCS 09/06
35

36

APPENDIX A
Primary Strengths

Two very good products: Vallee de
Mai known globally by tourists and
Aldabra globally known by scientists, conservationists & environmentalists

Large market share of Seychelles tourist at Vallee de Mai

Good relationship with government and NGO’s: Good international contacts, e.g. Shell, Smithsonians,
Royal Society

Good reputation internationally

Work force has a balanced skill set and an expert in the key locations of
Aldabra and Vallee de Mai

Good employee – good first appeal and good remuneration

Currently financially viable – in the
‘black’. Have Foreign Exchange account

Small, flexible and autonomous

Accepting of change and new technology
Primary Weaknesses
 Only one main revenue stream: Heavy subsidy to
Aldabra which is a large cost centre

Operations not efficient or optimal: inventory management, selling/marketing skills, procurement
 Lack of KPI’s, targets and assessments for SIF and individuals (work plan)

No business/marketing plan: no objective structure for long term. Skills important aspect
 Little experience in budgeting or budget vs actual tracking

Do not have control of logistics to Aldabra as 3 rd operates boat
 No experience in project proposal writing for funding

Small organization implies lack of resources to exploit opportunities
 No HR policy

Lack of office space
Major Opportunities

Increase revenue from tourists who visit Vallee de Mai by selling merchandising, food, etc
 Networking/co-operation with other organizations, e.g. exchange
Major threats

Tourism reducing in the
Seychelles

Competition from Fond
Ferdinand

Natural disasters (e.g. fire,
37

programme

Large potential global funding opportunities, e.g. EU, World Bank,
Private sector
 Large market of scientists/environmentalists/education visits which could increase revenue by fees, selling research, grants. This applies for Aldabra and Vallee de Mai

Improve HR skill base through training
 Chance to reduce costs (e.g. communication: v-sat, exchange)
 •Extend World Heritage site territory with local/regional org.
 Increase revenue from tourists who visit Aldabra by selling merchandising, food, ect

Increase revenue from online sales and fundraising campaigns

Obtain revenue from global community or general visitors to Seychelles global warming, cyclone)

Negative government intervention and change, e.g. lease arrangement, splitting two sites

Boat logistics supplier outsources or closes

Damage relationship with
Praslin population

Poaching increases at both sites
38

Chart showing tourism arrivals from 1977 to 2002. Source: CBS Annual Report 2002
Chart showing tourism arrivals from 1997 to 2002. Source: CBS Annual Report 2002
39

Chart showing tourism income from 1977 to 2002 . Source: CBS Annual Report 2002
40

Factor
Political
Economic
Social
Technological
Examples o Taxation policy o
Environmental protection laws o Government stability o
GDP trends o Unemployment o
Business cycles o Population demographics o Lifestyle changes o Levels of education o Social mobility o New technologies o Industry focus on technological effort o Speed of technology transfer
Own business o Favorable tax conditions for SIF: exempted from paying trade tax on imports; duty free fuel; no business tax o Favorable environmental laws backed by political commitment o Seychelles has political stability o
Seychelles has a high per capita income # USD8,000 o Low unemployment o
Seychelles has an expanding economy o Seychelles has forex shortage o Fairly young population o Enjoys good lifestyles adapted to western countries o More than 90% literacy rate o Seychellois travels a lot to different countries for holidays and shopping o Adapts well to new technology o Industries applies technology very quickly o Technology is easily accepted and applied
41

CUSTOMER TYPE (OR NAME): Visiting tourist to Vallee De Mai and Aldabra
Factor
Demographics
Examples o Age o Sex o Marital Status o
Education o Profession
Economic Factors o
High-Medium-Low
Income o Personal Debt o
Taxes o Savings Tendency
Consumer
Adoption Process
Psychographics
Please identify category: o Innovators o Early Adaptors o Early Majority o Late majority o Laggards o Customer demand o Lifestyle o Motives o Interests
Please provide a brief description of key client characteristics
Average age 30 to 50 years (VDM)
Average age 40 to 65 years (Aldabra)
Large % are couples and family groups
Most are fairly educated on the environment
Mostly western Europeans (VDM)
Mostly Americans and western Europeans (Aldabra)
Most come from medium to high income bracket
Occasionally some are rich personalities (Aldabra)
Most want to visit VDM on their first to Seychelles
Most are motivated by need to visit renowned tourist site
Some are nature enthusiasts
42

Months TSS Mason Premiere
Holiday
Creole
Holiday
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Total
659
1053
746
655
544
468
565
626
625
823
782
556
8102
732
946
1207
825
815
511
570
601
610
675
653
602
8747
39
48
43
28
43
692
211
36
36
63
71
42
32
380
224
364
276
238
3566
291
327
248
286
326
281
325
7º
South
34
10
29
59
18
321
-
-
46
48
42
15
20
Total
1893
2362
2283
1877
1798
1317
1512
1680
1517
1934
1798
1457
21428
Months
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Total
TSS Mason Premiere
Holiday
368
808
889
668
533
308
363
511
426
460
416
255
6005
715
510
950
492
611
517
648
547
530
665
639
464
7288
29
33
89
129
14
36
10
414
46
33
8
0
471
Creole
Holiday
378
294
369
331
445
241
262
409
444
601
448
329
4551
7º
South
Total
54
131
7
23
41
24
19
22
8
2
51
23
405
1544
1776
2304
1643
1644
1126
1302
1533
1454
1761
1562
1071
18720
43

Year 2002 Year 2003
Months
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Total
Adults
2466
3160
3525
2812
2826
1947
3175
3542
2225
3299
2881
2302
34160
Child.
149
225
168
282
78
38
203
281
26
143
50
149
1822
Adults
2446
2530
3132
3146
2558
2444
2708
3320
2476
3065
2714
3118
33657
Child.
144
151
112
345
77
83
184
205
29
158
57
160
1705
The above table show the number of visitors buying tickets at the Vallee De Mai shop for 2002 and 2003
Year 2002 Year 2003
Month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
Adults
93
76
114
101
107
89
104
Child.
12
0
12
32
31
25
25
Adults
125
81
85
156
155
136
140
Child.
21
14
8
51
36
19
6
August
September
October
180
76
118
52
9
10
207
143
98
52
20
7
November
December
91
207
1356
13
48
269
124
126
1576
3
24
261 Total
The above table is an illustration of residents visiting the Vallee De Mai in 2002 and 2003
44

Board Of Trustees
Chairman
16 Board Members
Science Committee
10 members
Fund Raising Committee
3 members
Executive Director
Executive Officer
Accountant
Office Assistant
Admin Assistant
Governance
Headquarters
Vallee de Mai / Font Pepper
Warden
Senior Ranger
2 Rangers
2 Trainee Rangers
2 Assistant Rangers
3 Field Workers
Valle de Mai Site
Aldabra Atoll Warden
Research Officer
Senior Ranger
2 Rangers
2 Trainee Rangers
Assistant Research Officer
Aldabra Site
Senior Ranger
Senior Ranger
Senior Ranger
Senior Ranger
Senior Ranger
Senior Ranger
45

R ISK
D
ESCRIPTION
Fond Ferdinand open their site for tourists and they take a significant
(>20%) of the market share of tourists to Praslin.
There is a fixed number of visitors to Praslin so Vallee de Mai experiences a significant (>20%) decrease in revenue.
This results in a total reduction to SIF income significantly (>18%)
L INK TO B USINESS
O BJECTIVES
R ISK O WNER
(F OCAL P OINT )
C URRENT R ISK
R ESPONSES
I
MPACT
/
L IKELIHOOD
R ATIONALE
A CTIONS
A decrease in revenue leading to a decrease in financial stability
Lindsay Chong Seng
Good relationship with Fond Ferdinand management therefore get update of competitors position
Highly Likely. Fond Ferdinand has started building visitor facilities. Paths are being laid, Restaurant and shop is planed to be built
1) Improve on site shop: relocate, aesthetic, service quality.
Jan 2005 – Dec 2005. Responsible Ronny and Lindsay. Estimate cost 0.6 mill R (needs scoping).
First steps – Lindsay present to board Dec 2004
Ronny makes initial contacts Dec 2004
2) Improve merchandise to sell in shop: bigger range (type and product), specific products to Vallee de Mai, better quality
June 2005 – Dec 2005. Responsible R.T.
Estimate cost for sampling and stocks 350,000 R/yr
3) Recruit staff for shop min 3: advertise, recruit and train
Oct 2005 – Dec 2005. Responsible Warden Preslin and Ronny
Estimate cost for salary 150,000 R/yr
4) Education display: Update, improve, expand
Sept 2005 – Dec 2005. Responsible Lindsay
Estimated cost 15,000 R/yr
5) Evaluate possibility for night safari
46

R EMARKS
(O PTIONAL )
Jan-March 2006. Responsible Lindsay and Warden
Estimate cost for torches and salary 20,000 R
6) Evaluate value and possibility handicapped and elderly people path
Jan-March 2006. Responsible Ronny
Estimate cost TBC
7) Periodic visits to F.F. to get abreast of the stage they are at in terms of opening
Jan 2005 – ongoing. Responsible Lindsay, Ronny, Warden.
8) Develop improved relationship with tour operators to increase loyalty when competition begins (e.g. business lunches, Christmas functions)
Dec 2004 – ongoing. Responsible Lindsay
Estimate cost 10,000 R
9) Develop yearly agreement/contracts with tour operators
July 2005 – ongoing. Responsible
Estimate cost 2% revenue from Vallee de Mai
10) Approach hotel reps and tourist sale reps and offer incentives for recommendations
2 months before F.F. starts. Ronny and Lindsay
Estimate cost TBC
11) Develop advertising plan for Vallee de Mai (e.g. web site, in flight magazines, posters at airport, advertisement in airport, leaflets for guest houses and cheaper hotel concierges on Preslin and Mahe)
June 2004 – Ongoing. Lindsay and Ronny
Estimate cost 100,000 TBC
Comments regarding changes, emerging issues.
(O PTIONAL )
47

R
ISK
D
ESCRIPTION
Tourism drops in Seychelles by #20%
The Vallee De Mai tourist market share takes the cue and drops by #20%.
There is a significant (>20%) decrease in revenue.
There is # 20% reduction in SIF income
L INK TO B USINESS
O BJECTIVES
R ISK O WNER
(F OCAL P OINT )
C URRENT R ISK
R ESPONSES
I
MPACT
/
L
IKELIHOOD
R
ATIONALE
A CTIONS
A decrease in revenue leading to a decrease in financial stability
Ronny Renaud
Study market trend and offer discounts to tour operators to increase market share of visitors to Praslin
Likely. There has been study decrease in tourist coming to
Seychelles over past 3 years. SIF needs to re-look at options for
1) Compile statistics of tourists visiting Seychelles and compare with visitors to Vallee De Mai.
January 2005 – On-going. Responsible Ronny
Estimate cost = SR 1,000
2) Develop promotional strategy to attract more tourists to visit Vallee
De Mai (e.g. special events at VDM, etc.)
March 2005 – Responsible Lindsay/Ronny Renaud
Estimate cost SR20,000
3) Develop an incentive plan for tour operators and hotel representatives that sales trips to the Vallee De Mai.
March 2005 – Ronny Renaud/Lindsay
Estimate cost = 0.5% % of VDM Entrance fee
4) Estimate the option of charging an Entrance Fee of USD5 to visitors under 12 years
January 2005 – Ronny Renaud
Estimate of cost TBC
48

R EMARKS
(O PTIONAL )
5) Develop yearly agreement/contracts with tour operators
July 2005 – ongoing. Responsible
Estimate cost 2% revenue from Vallee de Mai
6) Develop advertising plan for Vallee de Mai (e.g. web site, in flight magazines, posters at airport, advertisement in airport, leaflets for guest houses and cheaper hotel concierges on Praslin and Mahe)
April 2005 – Ongoing. Lindsay and Ronny
Estimate cost 50,000 TBC
This risk should be considered of high importance.
(O PTIONAL )
49