Minister congratulates STB for a successful year |06 January 2013

The minister has congratulated the island’s tourism board for not only achieving a milestone in tourism, but exceeding the 7% increase in visitor arrival figures set for Seychelles at the 2011 tourism board’s marketing meeting held at Le Meridien Barbarons Hotel.

“It was at the 2011 December marketing meeting at Le Meridien Barbarons attended by the heads of the STB, members of the island’s private sector, all the tourism board’s overseas directors and the heads of Reunion’s tourism, that the forecast for the visitor arrival target for 2012 was called.

 Today we can all see that the STB had not only been realistic with its forecast, but had proposed a well calculated plan of action for developing Seychelles tourism when it knew that the main markets for Seychelles were suffering from their own economic difficulties.”
 
“It is easy to take for granted the efforts of those in the frontline,” Minister St Ange said, adding that when we see what is happening in other tourism destinations, and when we read what the big boys in the regional world of tourism are saying, we must and we should be humble enough to say congratulations to the team at the STB who have worked hard during 2012.
 
“But as we celebrate as a country on our achievements of 2012, we must also appreciate that the existing public/private sector partnership has brought positive results for Seychelles.

 The private sector has worked side by side with the government agencies in the promotion of Seychelles, and they have again shown their commitment by coming out last December to work with the STB on the country’s 2013 marketing plan.

 I have personally maintained a close working relationship with the private sector and continue to meet their elected representatives on a regular basis,” Minister St Ange added.

In fact the number of visitors Seychelles is receiving today is two times well over its total population and around five times of its adult working population.

 These mid-ocean tropical islands with a weather pattern that has given them the name of the tourism destination with a perpetual summer is dependent on their tourism industry.
  
“As we start 2013, my appeal to the tourism industry as a whole is to continue to work as a united team for Seychelles.

 In doing so each and everyone will see their respective businesses grow.

 You have been calling for more funds for marketing and for 2013, government has heard your pleas and you will continue to be consulted on how we spend these funds that will be operated from an account at a private bank.

 We understand the need to now gradually increase further the yield from tourism and we commit to working with the trade as they review their rates they feel is most suited for their respective business,” Minister St Ange said.

Hotels in Seychelles are always saying that they are not competing among themselves, but suffer when price dumping occurs in the region.
 
This is why Seychelles has been playing a leading role in the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Regional Organisation.

 They have said over and over again that if the region works as a team, then each and every island of the region will come out as winners.

Seychelles’ President James Michel has declared that 2013 will be the year for ‘Striving for our Seychelles’, in order to reinforce the progress that has been achieved and to overcome the challenges of the continued global recession.

 The President noted that the life of a people is defined by the capacity to overcome difficulties, overcome obstacles, without giving up and that these abilities are what make us stronger as human beings and render us valiant as a people.

“Life does not improve by chance. Progress comes from positive changes and hard work. We have to sail away from the coast in order to discover new oceans, new horizons. Have courage. Have belief.

Assume our responsibilities…” says President Michel in his New Year message.
 
President Michel’s message reaffirms the conclusions of the last marketing meeting held at Hilton Silhouette Labriz Resort and Spa where the private sector trade and the STB sat together and agreed to move to discover new oceans and new horizons for the country’s tourism industry.

“It was agreed at the 2012 marketing meeting that Seychelles needed to remain proactive and to continue to work on diversification of our island’s tourism markets as we relook at measures to reclaim our fair share of the traditional main markets.

 It was also agreed that even more needed to be done to keep Seychelles visible in the four corners of the world and here the Friends of Seychelles in the press fraternity will be called upon to assist,” Minister St Ange said.