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Tourism Ball 2017 |02 October 2017

Tourism pioneers unveiled, remarkable contributors recognised

 

The names of eight tourism pioneers have been unveiled, Beachcomber a hotel brand, a small tourism business teaching culture and heritage to visitors considered an inspiring innovative entrepreneurial idea and a former tourism minister have also been recognised.

This was on Saturday evening during the Tourism Ball, a glamorous event which was this year held at Eden Bleu and it marked the crux of Tourism Week.

The minister responsible for tourism Maurice Loustau-Lalanne and the chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Sherin Francis both addressed everyone gathered to celebrate their hard work, success recorded and achievements made in the tourism industry.

The eight tourism pioneers are Maryse Eichler, Zita Monthy, Sir James Mancham, Louis D’Offay, Raymonde Delorie, Adrien Michel, John de Matta Mascarenhas and Richard Mancham.

Mrs Eichler has been described as a vibrant personality who invested time and effort towards tourism development in Seychelles. Her journey in the industry includes her role as head of Seychelles’ first hotel school starting in 1979. She was also the chief executive of the Seychelles Hotels Group and member of the Accommodation and Catering Board.

Mrs Eichler, who was known for her frank, curious and strong-willed nature but also her willingness to pass on her knowledge, will also be remembered for managing ‘Pomme Canelle’, a restaurant that was located at La Plaine St André, as well as her time at the Northolme hotel.

Mrs Monthy, together with her husband, turned a souvenir shop selling local handicrafts into a small hotel at Anse Faure, in the Anse Aux Pins district some 45 years ago.

Located just a few minutes from the Seychelles International Airport, the Carefree Guesthouse and Restaurant which opened in 1973, grew in popularity and became known as a charming family-run guesthouse.

Sir James Mancham, who became the country’s first President after Seychelles gained its independence from Great Britain on June 29, 1976, was not only the Seychelles founding president, but also helped pioneer international tourism to Seychelles.

He started to promote tourism to Seychelles in his capacity as chief minister, and later prime minister, while the country was still under the British Colonial rule. Throughout his life, he never ceased to be a promoter of the tourism industry, which is today the mainstay of the Seychelles economy.

Mr D’Offay, a man whose name is naturally linked to tourism, was a well-known and respected hotelier from Praslin. Describing himself as a self-taught hotelier, Mr D’Offay began his journey in the tourism industry with the small beach property at Côte d’Or known as Village du Pêcheur (in 1978).

Over the years he invested time, money and expertise in several other ventures, especially in tourism properties on Praslin and La Digue.

His greatest success story, however, is Hotel L'Archipel, a family-run establishment tucked at the end of Côte d’Or bay on Praslin, which he built in the late 1980s.

L’Archipel, which welcomed its first clients in April 1987, is a home-grown hotel that still stands today and is considered to be a home-away-from-home for leisure travellers from across the globe.

We cannot talk about Mr D’Offay without also highlighting his active role in pushing forward the concerns of the private sector, serving for 15 years as the chairman of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association (SHTA).

The other four veterans in the tourism industry recognised as pioneers though departed a very long time ago, have made deserving and significant contributions to the industry.

Raymonde Delorie was the owner of the Beau Vallon Beach Hotel which was situated on the exact site where Le Méridien Fisherman’s Cove Hotel is located. According to historical records the hotel was equipped with all the modern conveniences, including its own laundry and dairy and poultry farm.

The three others are linked to one particular hotel ‒ the Continental Hotel ‒ which was situated in Victoria. The Continental Hotel was built by Adrien Michel in the late 1940s. It was later acquired by John de Matta Mascarenhas of Portuguese origins who renamed it Hotel de Mascarenhas. The same hotel was later bought by Richard Mancham, a successful businessman and the father of Sir James Mancham who reverted it to its former name of Continental Hotel. That was in the 1950s.

The siblings of the pioneers received the awards on behalf of the pioneers.

Meanwhile, recognition for remarkable and valuable contributions in the tourism industry went to Beachcomber a hotel brand which Mrs Francis said has helped the industry significantly but will soon be here no more as new owners are expected to take over the Sainte Anne resort after forthcoming refurbishments. It was the general manager Youssef Sabri who received the award.

The second recognition went to the Heritage and Cultural Education Services. The business which belongs to Geralda Payet, who collected the award, was launched a year ago and it blends cultural heritage with tourism, teaching visitors our culture and different other aspects of our heritage.

Former tourism minister Alain St Ange received the recognition award for his great contribution in the tourism industry through his extensive experience in hospitality occupying different positions in the private sector before joining the public service and becoming chief executive of the STB in 2010 and Minister for Tourism in 2012 until last year.

Other than the award ceremony, guests at the ball were treated to an international gala buffet and wonderful music by the Breeze band and DJ Mervin.

 

 

 

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