Seychelles Tourism Industry’s

Editorial by Mr Alain St Ange

It is important for the Seychelles Tourism Industry’s E-News to spend time in this issue to mention the new developments in the country in the move to redress the economy of our Country. The Tourism Industry’s Association was privileged to have a meeting with the IMF Delegation who are in Seychelles to assist with the restructuring efforts. We can confirm that the meeting was interesting and frank. The Chairman of the Association and his delegation commented, after leaving that the meeting, that he had a feeling that the will to solve persistent issues was today present. The Tourism Industry supports the efforts being made to get our economy back on track. This commitment was echoed to President James Michel when Representatives of the Tourism Industry’s Association and the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industries met with the President at State House on the 28th August. Read more on this meeting. Another meeting that saw the participation of the Tourism Industry’s Association was one called by the Ministry of Environment to discuss the increases in Garbage Collection. The Association appreciates that no such services should be subsidized, but continue to echo our feeling that fairness and transparency must exist when increases of 300% is being imposed as will happen effective 1st October this year. Read more on this meeting and on the Industry’s call for the phasing out of a monopoly on such a service and for the tendering of such a service to ensure the country is obtaining the best service for the best price.

This issue carries an interview with the CEO of Air Seychelles. It was important for us to meet with Air Seychelles and understand their difficulties at the same time as we updated ourselves on their strategies in place. We want to thank Dr Rajiv Bissessur, the CEO of Air Seychelles for taking the time to answer our questions. We all appreciate that Air Seychelles remains a critical player for the country’s Tourism Industry and we needed to echo this feeling to all the Industry Players through the words of Air Seychelles in an interview. Read more on this interview. Our Interview with Air Seychelles follows the Seychelles Tourism Marketing Meeting held at Labriz Resort on the island of Silhouette this last August.  The Seychelles Tourist Board must be congratulated for having again called on the Trade to play a part in the planning of the Marketing Strategy for Seychelles for 2009. The Country will benefit from this feeling of togetherness and unity for purpose.  Read more on this meeting and on the different meetings held at the Association’s Secretariat with the Seychelles Overseas Representatives.

This marketing meeting ended just before the Conde Nast writing that “but nowhere in the world can beat Seychelles for scenery (a picture-perfect 100)” in its Readers Survey for ‘Favourite Island’ and for having two Seychelles Resorts in their list of top 20 Resorts in Middle East, Africa & the Indian Ocean. North Island came out as 5th in the ranking and Denis Island at 19 in the Top-20 hotels of the world in CNTraveller 2008 Readers’ Survey.  Congratulations to these to private islands for making us proud. Read more on this Conde Nast Report.

In this issue we are also taking time to present three of our Members who have undertaken major upgrades of who have been completely rebuilt, or who has a New General Manager creating a difference for his property. Read more on Labriz Silhouette, Allamanda T-Club Resort and on Beachcomber Sainte Anne Resort.

Ms Jenifer Sinon, the Industry’s Association new CEO has started publishing as from this issue an analysis of the statistic figures for visitor arrivals. She brings out a short brief of our figures. This will be developed further as Ms Sinon settles in. Read Ms Sinon’s notes.

Face-a-Face programs on our National Television Station are enlightening and we support this initiative. The couple of Programs on the economy was to the point and reflected the new approach that will reorganize the economic structure of our country. We nevertheless want to echo our disappointment with the program on Tourism Policy. The Industry’s Association was not asked to be represented and views aired did not reflect the whole industry’s concerns and aspirations.

Again in this issue let me thank you all for your encouragement and for all your support. You continue to reconfirm to us that our resolve to be the mouthpiece for our industry is right.  We also again thank all those advertising in the industry’s publication. You continue to make it possible for us to continue to publish the Tourism Industry’s E-News. For your information previous issues of our E-News can always be viewed on http://www.seychelles.net/sha/ . This issue, we can confirm to you, will be sent to 10,350 subscribers directly from Tourism Industry’s Secretariat.

As we have said before, the Tourism Industry’s E-News remains a publication of our Country’s Tourism Industry for our Country’s Tourism Industry. Use it and make it work for you by forwarding it to all you know.

Sincerely,

Alain St.Ange

Editor

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Published by African Press International – api