Exit the treasure hunt, hello the gold rush! The French tour operator Exotismes has revised its copy to offer travel agents an event even more enticing than the previous version. Twenty lucky sellers were selected, out of a total of 500 participants, and flew to the Vanilla Islands. On the program: a week in Reunion Island and Mauritius, between discovering the islands of the Indian Ocean and fun and sporting events with, at the end of the day, a gold bar to pocket!
Take off for the Indian Ocean
This year, the traditional Exotismes event eductour aimed at travel agents has changed its name and revised its concept. It was only on their arrival at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport on Saturday June 13, 2015 that the twenty finalist travel agents discovered their final destination. With the regional airline Air Austral as a partner, the course towards the Indian Ocean was in order. And for twice the pleasure, a combination of two Vanilla Islands – Réunion and Mauritius – awaited the professionals.
A legendary treasure to be won
With the pirate Olivier Levasseur, alias the Buse, as a common thread, the adventure promised to be epic! After scouring the waters of the Indian Ocean, he was captured and sentenced to death on Reunion Island. Legend has it that, during his ascent to the pillory, he threw a parchment covered with cryptograms to the crowd: the Buse’s treasure map! Even today, some people strive to decode this map, in search of this treasure preserved in the collective imagination of Reunion Islanders for almost 300 years. For Exotismes, the legend offered a great opportunity to bring a fantastic epic to tourism professionals.
About ten cultural, fun and sporting events, imprinted with the mystery linked to the filibuster, were on the program of the event. From the west coast with the discovery of unusual sites on the Saint-Paul side with the Etang nature reserve, through the experience of Maloya and the Grand Boucan carnival , by visiting Tamil temples and up to the heights from the island to the green mountains, the group was able to experience the Reunion destination in many of its strengths.
At the end of this week punctuated by challenges and friendly meetings, it was three travel agents, those who accumulated the most points over the ten events, who were named the winners of this gold rush in the Indian Ocean. As a treasure, the winner left with a 250 gram gold bar! The second, meanwhile, won a 100 gram ingot and the third pocketed a final 50 gram ingot.
We must now wait until September 10, during the big back-to-school evening of Exotismes which is scheduled in Marseille, to know the names of the winners who will receive their real treasure on this occasion.