The hardest part of planning your Indian Ocean escape is choosing where to go. Is it going to be the Seychelles with its powder-white beaches and tropical waters, Madagascar with its unique flora and fauna, or Réunion with its French heritage and fusion cuisine?

Combining several options has been impractical in the past, thanks to poor air connectivity between the islands, but all that is about to change as the ‘Vanilla Islands’ initiative gains momentum.

The idea of a unified collective of some of the most sought-after islands in the Indian Ocean was born in 2010, with a view to unite members under one tourism brand: the Vanilla Islands. The objective is to increase connectivity between member states, which now include the islands of Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar, Réunion, Seychelles, Maldives and Mayotte, and highlight the unique aspects of each.

The recently formed Vanilla Islands Tourism Organisation already has the backing of the governments of member islands, but following a high-profile meeting in Réunion, the organisation won the support of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

“The regional cooperation emerging in the Vanilla Islands is an example of how destination islands can, by working together, address some of the key challenges facing islands such as connectivity while creating a stronger and more attractive brand,” said UNWTO secretary-general, Taleb Rifai.

If you haven’t yet heard of the Vanilla Islands, you will soon. And you’ll soon be able to plan that multi-stop Indian Ocean dream holiday without needing your own private jet to get there.