STB’s first high-level multi sectorial task force meeting |14 July 2014

All urged to rally behind tourism

Efforts to keep our tourism industry the number one pillar of the economy should be collective and not individual.

Vice-President Danny Faure said this when launching the first Seychelles Tourism Board’s (STB) first high-level multi sectorial task force meeting at the National House on Friday.

Present at the meeting were the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange, Minister for Environment and Energy Professor Rolph Payet and Minister for Land Use and Habitat Christian Lionnet. The other ministers, who were on official duties, were represented by Vice-President Faure.
Also there were officials of the STB, civil servants and all those concerned with the industry.

Vice-President informed the delegates that he was there to work together with them for Seychelles and to bring the ministers together to find solutions to the real problems that they face as an industry so that Seychelles wins and the industry wins.

He told the delegates that issues that need higher-level decisions will be taken further up to the cabinet and to the President if need be.
Vice-President Faure said the meeting is not about “making nice speeches, but getting things done and making it happen”.

He said tourism, the islands' main economic pillar, contributing 27 percent of its Gross National Product (GDP), deserves a collective effort to find solutions to problems faced by the industry.

Echoing a call by Vice-President Faure for more frequent such dialogues, Minister St Ange said in order to face the challenges facing the industry such gatherings must be held rather frequently.

He suggested a follow-up meeting in six weeks’ time, after which it will be held quarterly.

“Tourism is a public-private sector partnership. Today I hope after this initial meeting it becomes very clear that we are all on the same side – we are on the side of tourism and we are on the side of tourism in Seychelles,” said Minister St Ange.

He also said the fact that the vice-president has accepted to chair the meeting shows the importance of tourism which is the number one pillar of our economy.