Tourism Festival set for September 23 - 30 |09 September 2023
Seychelles’ sixth Tourism Festival is scheduled from September 23 to September 30, 2023.
The festival is designed to celebrate and promote the importance of tourism in the country, and this year’s theme is ‘Bridging our Past and Future’.
Principal secretary for tourism, Sherin Francis, explained that the theme is mainly to recognise the ones who laboured tirelessly in the past to establish the country’s tourism industry and to share what their jobs entailed.
The PS, together with Bernadette Willemin, the director general for destination marketing and Paul Lebon, director general for destination planning and development, met with the press at the Botanical House yesterday to share the various activities planned for the festival.
The sixth edition of the festival will kick start with its official launch at La Plaine St André, Au Cap on Saturday, September 23 followed the next day by a local food festival and cultural fair at Domaine de Val des Près.
There will also be educational activities such as ‘Lospitalite’ Inter School Tourism Quiz competition on Tuesday, September 26, videos of children interviewing key tourism figures, which will be aired on YouTube channel, a tourism forum on Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation and ‘Concours d’expression oral’.
On World Tourism Day (September 27), there will be a special message by the tourism minister, Meet and greet event at the Seychelles International Airport, as well as traditional music entertainment at key locations including ‘Ero’ passenger terminal on Praslin, inter island quay on Mahé, the tourism office at La Passe and the Botanical Gardens.
There will also be the annual Tourism pioneers unveiling ceremony at the Seychelles Tourism Academy.
Another main event during the festival will be a digital tourism fair. Mrs Willemin explained that the fair is important as the industry is moving towards digitalisation in many aspects.
“Our stakeholders will participate with us during the fair and the aim is to create awareness among the public at large on the importance of digitalisation. We will present immersive experiences and we will have companies to help the small businesses set up their business digitally,” said Mrs Willemin.
The festival will culminate with the second edition of ‘Lospitalite Lafyerte Sesel’ Service Excellence awards at Constance Ephelia on the final day.
The tourism department stated that some of the events are on invitation only, while others are open to the public and is encouraging them to be part of this great annual manifestation.
Vidya Gappy
Photos: Louis Toussaint
