New mobile phone app lets visitors to Seychelles book accommodation, learn about attractions

The Seychelles Ahoy! app and Google logo. (Small Tourism Business DEvelopment)

(Seychelles News Agency) - Visitors who plan to travel to Seychelles will now be able to find the best itineraries, learn more about the destination and have a travel guide in their pocket with the launch of a new 3-in-1 mobile application.

Dubbed ‘Seychelles Ahoy!’ the app allows users to research the islands of Seychelles and what they have to offer. Through the app, visitors to the 115-island archipelago in the western Indian Ocean will be able to browse through a list of flights, accommodations and transportation. The app also allows users to make bookings at some locations.

Tanya Goodman, one of the app’s developers, said the name of the app has a Hollywood connection. “Thanks to blockbuster movies like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ we felt that using ‘Ahoy’, meaning ‘Hello’, would resonate anywhere in the world.”

“We wanted to celebrate the colourful history of the Seychelles, with its pirates and the spirit of pioneers when we had to decide on a name for the app. The cultural diversity of the islands and the appeal to markets all over the world further demanded a name that was not unique to any particular language,” said Goodman.

‘Seychelles Ahoy!’ was launched in early September.

“For the smaller tourism enterprise in Seychelles, burdened with high commissions payable to booking platforms, this app now creates a direct link between the traveller and the owner of the business’ own email, website and social media platforms,” read a press release from the developer of the app.

According to the press release, this cuts “out the expensive intermediator and putting more money back into the pockets of smaller Seychellois businesses.”

Equipped with location-based functionality, the app always shows travellers the attractions, restaurants or cafes, bus stop or ATM nearest to them. The distance to the outlet and the mapped route is displayed as well. 

A screenshot of the app online. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

Earlier this year, the app developers met with representatives of the Seychelles Tourism Board based in South Africa to discuss the development of ‘Seychelles Ahoy!’.

The chief executive of the board, Sherin Francis, said that such apps are welcomed as they provide more online visibility for the island nation.

“The idea of the project is good as the more we are present online, the more visibility Seychelles will get. With such application which gives people an idea of activities to do in Seychelles, it will help people to do more when in the country and not stay on their hotel, bringing more benefits in the end,” said Francis.

At the moment the marketing team of the board is verifying the content of the app to make sure that all information is factual.

The chief executive added that the “content is similar to what was already being provided within the ‘Seychelles Travel Guide’ app but if it has its own demographic and cliental that it is reaching, it is all the better for Seychelles.”

The app is currently available in English and French, with a future upgrade planned to support German and Italian versions.

Free to download on iOS -- a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple -- and Android devices, ‘Seychelles Ahoy!’ is suitable for both luxury and budget travellers. There are no in-app purchases required from the user.