£1,332 per person for seven nights for a room facing the golf course and £1,682 per person for 14 nights.
Sales manager Paul Bedford said: “Le Paradis has been called the greatest leisure resort in the Indian Ocean, so it is not just a haven for golfers. It has five tennis courts, swimming pools, a gym and other facilities that will appeal to non-golfers.”
The brochure also features Le Paradis Amateur Golf Trophy which takes place in March and, according to Bedford, is a good opportunity for agents to earn extra commission. Clients staying at Le Paradis pay an extra £75 to take part in the week-long event which involves three days’ golf, two days at the tournament, a gala dinner and two cocktail parties.
Elegant Resorts is also putting greater emphasis on the sport, introducing a double-page spread on golf in three of its brochures. A seven-night stay at Le Paradis costs £1,470 per person for a sea-facing room, based on departures between May 1 and July 13 2000. The deal includes four rounds of golf.
NEXT year will see the opening of the Seychelles’ first 18-hole golf course, which will help secure the islands’ place in the luxury holiday market.
Located in the grounds of the five-star deluxe Lemuria Resort of Anse Kerlan, on Praslin island, the championship Par 71 course is due to open by mid-2000, six months after the resort welcomes its first guests.
The golf course has been designed by US golf architect Rodney Wright and French golfer Mark Antoine Farry and, according to Farry, is “visually spectacular”.
“The scenery across the course is divided into two. The first 12 holes are fairly flat and surround the ocean. The last six holes are positioned in the mountains with fantastic views of Lemuria resort, the ocean and two neighbouring islands,” said Farry.
Seychelles Tourist Office UK director Rose Fayon has described the golf course as a major development, helping to put the Seychelles on a par with other five- star destinations.
“Up until now we have only had a nine-hole course at the Reef hotel in Mahe. The course at Lemuria Resort opens up a new market for us. Also because the Lemuria is owned by Constance Hotels Services who also operate Le Prince Maurice in Mauritius, we should attract their customers too,” said Fayon. “It shows that investors have real confidence in the country and may well encourage other investors.”
Tour operators believe the golf course will allow them to reach a broader range of clients. Graham Phillips, general manager, product and contracting at Elegant Resorts, said: “The Seychelles is one of the most beautiful groups of islands in the world. But traditionally it has not had the best hotels in the world. That is changing and now with the new golf course, the country will start to figure in the upper end of the market a lot more.”
Unlike the 18-hole course at the Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius which is exclusive to residents of the Belle Mare Plage resort and Le Prince Maurice, the Lemuria golf course will be open to non-residents for £50 a round. Residents at Lemuria will be charged £15 to use the course.
The opening of Lemuria could hardly have come at a better time. As demand for more activity-based holidays grows, operators are placing more emphasis on golf.
Specialist operator Beachcomber has launched a dedicated golf brochure – Classic Golf – featuring the hotel Le Paradis on the southwest tip of Mauritius. Prices lead in at £1,332 per person for seven nights for a room facing the golf course and £1,682 per person for 14 nights.
Sales manager Paul Bedford said: “Le Paradis has been called the greatest leisure resort in the Indian Ocean, so it is not just a haven for golfers. It has five tennis courts, swimming pools, a gym and other facilities that will appeal to non-golfers.”
The brochure also features Le Paradis Amateur Golf Trophy which takes place in March and, according to Bedford, is a good opportunity for agents to earn extra commission. Clients staying at Le Paradis pay an extra £75 to take part in the week-long event which involves three days’ golf, two days at the tournament, a gala dinner and two cocktail parties.
Elegant Resorts is also putting greater emphasis on the sport, introducing a double-page spread on golf in three of its brochures. A seven-night stay at Le Paradis costs £1,470 per person for a sea-facing room, based on departures between May 1 and July 13 2000. The deal includes four rounds of golf.
GOLF IN MAURITIUS
Climate: Mauritius is a good year-round destination although there can be tropical downpours in January, February and March. It is cooler in May and June.
Total number of courses: six: two 18-hole courses at the Belle Mare Plage and Le Paradis; three nine-hole at the Trou aux Biches, Maritim and Le Saint Geran. The Gymkhana in Vacoas, is the oldest club on the island and the only one not affiliated to a hotel.
Best course fees: the Belle Mare Plage is free and exclusive to residents of the hotel and visitors at the Prince Maurice.
Operators: Airwaves, British Airways Holidays, Crystal Holidays, Elegant Resorts, Elite Vacations, Silk Cut Travel, Thomas Cook Holidays, Sunset Faraway Holidays and Tropical Places.
Package prices: few packages are sold through the trade but BA Golfing Holidays has a seven-night package at the Belle Mare Plage for £995 per person, half-board, based on departures between July 3-16 2000. It includes free use of the Belle Mare Plage and the nine-hole course at Le Saint Geran, plus 2hrs’ tuition.
Unique selling point: Mauritius is not for top-class golfers but it offers a varied holiday with beautiful scenery, good climate, excellent hotels and cuisine.