Mission Lodge to be turned into attraction park |13 January 2009
The park at Sans Souci will have an administrative block, a main viewing point, a sitting
The ruins on the site are to be preserved so visitors will get a clear picture of its historical importance.
Mission Lodge was known as Venn’s Town when it was established in 1875 by the Missionary Society of the Anglican Church as the first school for freed black slaves in Seychelles.
Its planned development will see it transformed into a recreational and educational centre where visitors can learn about its history and also take in the splendid view it offers of the west coast of Mahe.
The project is being carried out by Russian businessman Igor Likatchev, at the request of and in partnership with the Seychelles Heritage Foundation, the local body responsible for preserving such sites across the country for future generations to enjoy.
The foundation has been maintaining them single-handedly but is now offering the management of selected sites to business people as potential money-making ventures.
As a condition of the agreements, the developers of the sites have to preserve their natural settings. All projects must conform to the country’s environmental laws, with an initial environmental impact assessment meeting, which in the case of Mission Lodge took place last Friday at the Port Glaud community centre.
Mr Likatchev said all those present at the meeting showed their support for the project. They included representative of the Seychelles Tourism Board, travel agents, trail guides and other groups of people standing to benefit in some way from business the park will generate.
He explained that tourists will pay a fee to visit the site, but local people will be admitted free of charge. Visits for schoolchildren will also be organised, according to a schedule to be drawn up by the park managers.
Work on the new-look Mission Lodge is expected to take about six months to complete after all the formalities have been settled.