Sustainable tourism label report released |05 February 2005

Conducted by Swiss Masters student Ueli Schneider, the report was backed by the Tourism department, keen to look into the possibility of introducing a labelling system to highlight the socio-environmental achievements of hotels in Seychelles.

In a meeting attended by a wide variety of "tourism stakeholders" –ranging from the STMA and SHTA to the Ministry of Environment and Seychelles Coastguard– Mr Schneider said that three principle labelling options had been considered.

The study looked at the costs and benefits of joining an existing international labelling system or establishing a new label for use within the western Indian Ocean, before backing suggestions to create a label specific to Seychelles.

But despite recommending the implementation of a Seychelles-specific labelling system, the findings stopped short of closing debate on the matter.

Mr Schneider's report suggested that before any decision is made on which labelling route to take awareness amongst all tourism stakeholders needs to be increased, specifically with regards to the issue of sustainability.

The report recommends that discussion on the possible implementation of a labelling system begin as soon as possible and be lead by one department, but with the responsibility shared amongst the stakeholders.

It also recommends that the attitudes and preferences of tourists be further scrutinised in a separate study.

Tourism Department Director of International Cooperation, Frauke Dogley, said that the study –which is in step with the requirements drawn up in the Vision 21 tourism strategy document– sought to find as much information as possible on what the labelling process would involve.

She said that the department would continue to look at the research findings and stressed that Seychelles requires a sustainable tourism label, to go beyond a solely environmental label.

Field work for the study was conducted throughout July 2004 and extended beyond the limits set by an eco label to include environment, human rights and labour issues.

Mr Schneider spent five weeks in Seychelles examining the importance attached to environmental certification in the tourism industry and the feasibility of establishing a Seychelles specific label system or subscribing to an international label scheme.

Much of the research was conducted with four and five star hotels, which were seen as the most likely to meet the financial costs of joining an international programme.

The research also addressed issues raised in the Ecotourism strategy, launched in September 2003, and which included the establishment of an eco-labelling scheme as a possibility to be considered.