India can learn a lot from Seychelles’ tourism experience |07 October 2015

A team comprising Indian media and tour operators will soon visit Seychelles to showcase the country’s tourism development and experience to be aired in India.

Indian Minister for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, Dr Mahesh Sharma, said this.

Dr Sharma was here to take part in celebrations to mark the third Seychelles-India Day and he was on Monday welcomed at State House where held talks with President James Michel.

President Michel attended the opening ceremony last Friday evening and praised this year’s events as an excellent, beautiful and cohesive expression of the multi-ethnic nature of Seychelles and Indian societies.

“The Seychelles-India Day is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the natural affinities and the long-standing relations and friendship between our two countries and peoples. It is a demonstration of our mutual and common determination to continue to work together for progress and development,” said President Michel during the meeting.

They discussed several ways that India and Seychelles can work together to promote tourism and cultural relations and noted that great progress had already been made in these two fields.

Speaking to the press after meeting President Michel, Dr Sharma said they discussed a lot of issues, namely tourism, environment, culture and the forthcoming India-Africa Forum Summit.

“With three ministries under my responsibility there are lots of potential for different exchanges like bilateral tourism and increase in connectivity. We have proposed to send a group of media personnel, writers, tour operators to learn how beautifully the coastal side of the tourism industry is being managed here,” Minister Sharma said adding that India can learn a lot from Seychelles’ experience in the tourism sector.

Based on the rich historical and cultural relations that India and Seychelles share, Minister Sharma said they discussed how best this could be explored to benefit the two countries.

Minister Sharma and President Michel also discussed the forthcoming India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) to be held in New Delhi at the end of the month.

The IAFS is a celebration of the close partnership between Africa and India. It is an acknowledgement of shared history as well as future prospects.

The third IAFS will take place from October 26-29.

Apart from taking part in the Seychelles-India Day celebrations during his short visit here, Dr Sharma also held bilateral discussions with Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St Ange and toured the Victoria Marine Park.