The Editorial this week highlights:- a. Working visit to Mauritius. b. Seychelles targets increased visibility in the French market. c. Leasehold versus Freehold for hotel operating licenses in Seychelles. d. Meeting with Azeddine Bouali of Reunion’s Tourism Federation & also of the Ports of Reunion. e. UNWTO African Ministers meet in Kenya . f. Jasmine Toulouse, the Mauritius popular artist continues to shine. g.France decorates Renaud Azema of Vatel Mauritius with its Tourism Medal. h. Whale watching in all its splendour at Coin de Mire in Mauritius. Stand alone articles this week:- 1. Experience a breath-taking trip and visit Seychelles’ two favourite islands, Praslin and La Digue. 2. Guillaume Albert of Creole Travel Services at LUXURY TRAVEL MART of Russia. 3. WORLD TRAVEL AWARD CEREMONY IN DURBAN CELEBRATES EXCELLENCE (Seychelles slipping in International Recognition). 4. Reunion Island tourism worked the German and Swiss market before the last Top Resa. 5. Veiling Aviation of the Indian Ocean making inroads. 6. Outbound Travel Fair of Mauritius – a success. 7. Kenya prepares to commemorate the end of World War I. 8. Seychelles and Sri Lanka celebrated 30 years of successful diplomatic relations. 9. MKTE2018: Kenya target 4 million tourists by 2030. 10. Mauritius underwater scooters a hit with visitors. 11. Mauritius sets the stage to honour its best Kitchen performer with help from Paul Bocuse Restaurant. 12. Grace Barbe originally from Seychelles performed in Fremantle in Australia. 13. Endless Summer Workshop brought Seychelles Islands to Russia for the second annual event. 14. International Newswires continue to republish our Report.
Alain St.Ange
Working visit to Mauritius
Minister Alain Wong, Alain St.Ange and Minister Anil Gayan
Last week I was on a working trip to Mauritius and with the Minister of Tourism of the Island we discussed tourism and their coming Festival Kreol. Mauritius is putting a lot of effort to make their November (16 to 25) Festival Kreol one of their biggest. Four Members of the Mauritius Cabinet of Ministers are working together as one with a number of PSs and Directors to move the mid-ocean island’s cultural agenda forward. They are expecting over half a million people in the street of Mauritius for this year’s festival with some twenty to thirty floats depicting the theme “Creole is our heritage”. Mauritius is using the event to also consolidate the island’s visibility drive and members of the international press will be in the island for the duration of the festival. The Mauritius Festival Kreol will coincide with the arrival of the 32 Miss France Contestants accompanied by a contingent of French Press. France remains the key tourism source market for Mauritius and this can but help Mauritius in its positioning as a favourite destination for the French Holiday Makers. Arvind Bundhun, the Director of the MTPA (Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority) and his Team are working alongside Minister Gayan to ensure success for Mauritius.
Seychelles targets increased visibility in the French market
Sherin Francis
CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board
Sherin Francis, the Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board’s said that the participation of Seychelles at the last French Tourism Trade Fair in Paris was to increase the Seychelles visibility. “The trade fair was a great opportunity to showcase the island’s product to the travel trade and the press and bring to the forth the different experiences on offer for the visitors” said Sherin Francis. Today Seychelles is being served with direct non-stop flights by JOON of Air France and the strategy of working to increase visibility in needed to bring the numbers from the France to the top of the visitor arrivals list.
Leasehold versus Freehold for hotel operating licenses in Seychelles
Seychelles is seeing the challenge for ‘home grown properties’ that are lease owned instead of freehold. Many operating hotels and resorts have licenses on the lessor and not on the owner, and these include the new Four Season’s Desroches Resort and the Felicite Island Resort. Both are upmarket high class properties with a long lease, but should the same principle be applicable to the Seychellois ‘home grown’ businesses. The answer can, and should be a resounding yes coming with more encouragement. But is it the case today? The future of Seychelles tourism is empowering Seychellois to enter the industry as Industry Captains, and then grow the market to ensure everyone gets a share of the cake. The future will be bleak if we do not embrace this as a guiding principle. The Seychellois enterprises must be encouraged to work side by side with the bigger branded consortiums. Lease hold owners (International Brands or Seychellois) must get operating licenses on their names and this for the duration of their lease agreements.
Meeting with Azeddine Bouali of Reunion’s Tourism Federation & also of the Ports of Reunion
Azeddine Bouali, President of the Reunion Federation of Tourism and now of the Ports of Reunion with Alain St.Ange
During the working visit to Mauritius it was also the opportunity to catch up with Azeddine Bouali, the President of the Reunion Federation of Tourism who was recently allocated by Didier Robert, the island’s Regional President the portfolio of the Ports of Reunion as well. This new responsibility has direct bearing on Seychelles and Mauritius as well as the other Islands of the Vanilla Islands in the Indian Ocean’s drive for continued growth in Cruise Ship Tourism Business. Azeddine Bouali is not new to the Vanilla islands group and has been a strong advocate of working together for tourism to grow for the benefit the people of the islands.
UNWTO African Ministers meet in Kenya
SG of the UNWTO Amb Zurab Pololikashvili arriving in Nairobi ahead of the opening of the AU Tourism Ministers Meeting and welcomed by Minister Najib Balala of Kenya
African Tourism Ministers have been meeting in Kenya in the presence of the SG of UNWTO Amb Zurab Pololikashvili. The AU Tourism Ministers Meeting is very important for the Continent. This comes as the World Tourism Award was held in South Africa and as we all realise with sadness that Tourism in Africa remains more politicized than ever and is terribly under funded.
A Tourism Professional in Seychelles wrote in to make the point that “some spent decades building up this destination only to be see all our hard work being decimated in literally months. Tourism our golden goose is loosing all of its feathers and down!”
The African Tourism Ministers meeting is opportune. The repositioning of the industry, the rewriting of the narrative to get Brand Africa more recognised, the decision to not bleed the industry with taxes and fees but to instead help the industry grow to become the economic machine for the people themselves and for the country.
Jasmine Toulouse, the Mauritius popular artist continues to shine
with Mauritius Artist Jasmine Toulouse
Jasmine Toulouse has been seen as a shining bubbly Mauritian artist who continues to push for recognition of female artists and working of the Creole Culture. I met Jasmine for the first time at a Port Louis event last weekend and was impressed to see her perform with style and with the determination of being the Mauritian Artist she is. The Indian Ocean Islands today has many well know female artists and they need to be encouraged to make they mark on the greater International scene. Through Cultural Events in the region where International Press are present such Island Colour as Jasmine Toulouse in Mauritius or Sandra Esparon in Seychelles must be showcased to help get the Creole Culture to continue to go beyond our own coastline.
France decorates Renaud Azema of Vatel Mauritius with its Tourism Medal
Renaud Azema
VATEL of Mauritius
H.E. Emmanuel Cohet, the French Ambassador in Mauritius has decorated Renaud Azema, the head of VATEL Hotel School of Mauritius with the French Republic’s Tourism Medal. Renaud has been seen as the successful tourism operator of the island who has been advocating the French language and culture in his work at the Academy. Being recognised by France for his work is indeed a major coup for Renaud Azema and it is for Mauritius. Congratulations Renaud.
Whale watching in all its splendour at Coin de Mire in Mauritius
Remarkable photo posted of FB of Mauritius last week
It is important to again today acknowledge all who are diligently re-posting the Saint Ange Tourism Report weekly. Our Report ranges far and wide, from Australia to the Americas, from the Indian Ocean Vanilla islands to Africa & Asian and Greater Europe, with your continued support, which is greatly appreciated. You are helping us to grow from strength to strength with each new Edition.
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