Tourism multi-sectorial meeting at National House |04 July 2015

Partners meet to work for ‘one Seychelles brand, one tourism industry’

“There is one tourism industry. There’s no two tourism industries. There’s not one for government, one for the private sector. The whole country and the brand Seychelles is one tourism industry and the whole country is to work together, us and the private sector, to make sure that Seychelles moves forward.”

This was pointed out by the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St Ange, when speaking to the press after the latest tourism multi-sectorial meeting chaired by Vice-President Danny Faure and organised by the Seychelles government under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

The meeting, held at National House, was a follow-up on a previous meeting held in March and aimed at looking at the various points of concerns and challenges that government were following up on.

Also present were seven ministers – Wallace Cosgrow, Didier Dogley, Jean-Paul Adam, Joel Morgan, Christian Lionnet, Michael Benstrong and Minister St Ange himself – private sectors and other partners of the industry.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Minister St Ange said the discussions were held in a frank and open manner where the private sector, in the spirit of public/private partnership, did not hesitate to raise certain issues that still need to be tackled by the government.

A lot of concerns were raised in areas where the government has not really tackled which he described as a challenge for it has to come back with constructive points that will resolve issues.

“Today some areas were tabled like for example the seaweed issue at Grand Anse Praslin which is affecting the whole stretch of Grand Anse beach.

Some of the main topics of discussion, he said, were the piling up of seaweeds of up to about 3 to 4 feet high all along the stretch of beach of Grand Anse Praslin which he said traders there say is affecting the occupancy level on the island.

This received a positive feedback from Minister Dogley of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, who informed the sitting that his ministry will find a quick and effective way to tackle the problem.

“It is not a problem for the government per se, but a problem for the country. And the Seychelles brand is affected when we fail to deliver on it,” said Mr St Ange.

He cited other affecting factors like sand flies on Praslin, annoying stray dogs, a demand for specific VAT (Value Added Tax) for small hotels which was not accepted by the Minister for Finance where an across the board VAT system has been established.

He cited other factors tabled like the cost of Air Seychelles to Praslin which was discussed at length. Air Seychelles will give a ‘compte rendu’ by next Wednesday during a sitting of the ministers of finance, transport and tourism with the private sector and technicians, to analyse these constraints.

The minister said the same applies to flights from India or Paris to Seychelles and onwards.

“Many points have been raised today. Many solutions have been found but the government will have to come up with many responses for the private sector in the next meeting in August,” he said where the second phase of discussion will take place based on new issues that will need to be discussed.

“I think as a whole it has been a very frank, very open and very transparent meeting. I like, and I think the government as a whole likes, this feeling of openness which existed,” he said.