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Tourism remains a vital industry, says Minister St Ange |29 May 2015



Tourism remains a vital industry in today's troubled world, the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange has said.
The minister was speaking upon his return home from the UNWTO International Seminar on Multidestination Opportunities for Regional Integration that was held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti last week.

The President of Haiti, Michel Martelly, personally took part in a session of this meeting to show his support to the industry, and made time to meet tourism ministers who had travelled to Haiti for the meeting.

“We met in this ministerial meeting that was chaired by Taleb Rifai, the secretary general of the UNWTO, and together as a group of tourism ministers we discussed the consolidation of tourism, this vital industry that remains so important for many an economy. For the Seychelles, tourism is and will remain the pillar of its economy, which is why a lot of effort is placed on the management of that industry in a working public / private partnership," said Minister St Ange.

While in Haiti, Minister St Ange also took the opportunity to confirm with Minister Sandra Taylor of Colombia that he will be taking part in the 21st General Assembly of the UNWTO.

"Countries of the world who are serious in the consolidation of their tourism industry are all united under the UNWTO, and as Seychelles is an executive committee member of the UNWTO our presence at the coming General Assembly is a must," said Minister St Ange.

"The consolidation of the tourism industry will not happen by itself, member states must work as united countries in the UNWTO," said Minister St Ange at the Haiti Conference.

Seychelles has since the last couple of years launched its own brand aptly called the ‘Seychelles Brand of Tourism’ and this is today being moved forward by refocussing attention on the product side of things as was announced by the department of tourism as it launched the start of its door-to-door visits of hotels and all licensed tourism establishments.

The door-to-door visits of tourism establishments on Mahé started with the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Hotel & Casino and the Augerine Small Hotel of Terry Sandapin situated right on the beach of Beau Vallon.

On June 2 Minister St Ange will be in West Mahé leading a tourism and culture delegation on a visit to a number of small Seychellois owned hotels and a large hotel as well as Seychellois involved in the world of arts and culture of our islands.

“We are continuing with our plans to visit each and every licensed establishment in our country. Hotels as a whole appreciate this exercise, but the Seychellois home grown hotels on Praslin for example said when we visited them that they appreciate these visits and also appreciate the continued interest in the smaller establishments by the government," said Minister St Ange.

 

 

 

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