The Editorial this week highlights:- a. Financial Budget for 2020 has gone through its scrutiny. b. Seychelles on tax haven blacklist by France. c. Seychelles Golf – MCB Tour Championship starts off with Pro-Am Competition. d. Kenya: Balala – Kenya Open Big Boost for Tourism. e. New Seychelles Brandy by XO “LA COCOFESSE”. f. This week was Routes Africa in Kenya. g. South African Queen Zozi Tunzi Wins Miss Universe 2019. Stand alone articles this week:- 1. Press covers the meeting by Alain St.Ange in Nairobi when he transited to Routes Africa in Mombasa. 2. Creole Halts Fish Feeding Activities to Preserve Marine Environment. 3. Heather with 30 years at Mason’s Travel Seychelles. 4. The Constance Lemuria Resort congratulated for adding local culture to its beach setting. 5. Seychellois Maillet will take the reins as the CAF Director of Referees. 6. Tennis ITF appoints Fatime Kanté of Seychelles on its gender equality committee. 7. Seychellois Artists Visit Venice Biennale. 8. Air Madagascar will suspend flights to Johannesburg from January 9. Air France baptises its 3rd Airbus A350 “Saint-Denis de La Réunion”.10. Ethiopian Group CEO Named ‘Airline Executive of the Year’ by CAPA. 11. Air Seychelles has confirmed the delivery of its second A320neo aircraft in April 2020. 12. SAA rescue a necessity. 13. Seychellois pilot gets her Solo Wings in Florida USA. 14. Congratulations are in order as SEYPEC welcomes first All-Seychellois tanker crew. 15. Alex Gitari, the Ag Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Airport Authority and Alain St.Ange meet on the sidelines of Routes Africa 2019. 16. The Seychelles Islands Excels at the Ninth Edition of Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards. 17. Mauritian Christian Lefevre receives the prestigious award of “CEO Of The Year” from the Africa Leadership Awards. 18. MCB Tour Championship in Seychelles starts off with Pro-Am Competition. 19. IATA Special Envoy to Africa on Aeropolitical Affairs wants to see more cooperation. 20. Closing Notes.
Alain St.Ange
Welcome to this 35th edition of Vol 3 of the Saint Ange Tourism Report of 2019.
Financial Budget for 2020 has gone through its scrutiny
The end on year is upon us and with it the Seychelles Budget approved for 2020. Tourism will get what it has asked for and this was approved after a lengthy ‘question and answer’ session, but it was approved nevertheless. The performance by the island’s Tourism Board working hand in hand with the private sector trade will ‘deliver or will not deliver’ the tourism success level Seychelles is expecting. Bearing in mind that this industry remains the pillar of the island’s economy and any challenges will be felt very quickly by all who have invested in tourism or who are employed in tourism. The marketing budget divided by the average spent to deliver a passenger to the islands can now give an approximate figure on visitor arrivals for 2020. The ability for the Tourism Board to get to the tourism source markets, like a fisherman to a fishing bank, will ensure those working in the industry continue to have a secured employment, and everyone who has invested in that industry to make ends meet.
Seychelles on tax haven blacklist by France
The Editor of International Investment news wire joined many Press Bodies in France to confirm that:- “France puts Bahamas and Seychelles on its tax haven blacklist”. This news has shocked the Seychellois Islanders, and as the Seychelles Government makes official representations to the French Government the business community has started to worry about the situation for corresponding banks to be able to continue the needed foreign transactions by the islands to take place. More challenges than answers as the islands relaxed its Offshore sector in 2017.
Seychelles Golf – MCB Tour Championship starts off
with Pro-Am Competition
Sherin Francis, Sybille Cardon and the Team at the Golf Course on Praslin
The well anticipated competition leg of the Indian Ocean swing was held in Seychelles from Thursday December 5, 2019 to Saturday December 7, 2019. This is said to be making tourism stakeholders from Praslin proud as the STB Board Member and Chairperson of the island’s private sector trade (SHTA), Sybille Cardon was seen helping at the scoreboards.
Kenya: Balala – Kenya Open Big Boost for Tourism
Travel Wire News reported that Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said the ongoing Magical Kenya Ladies Open presented by M-Pesa will boost Kenya’s tourism prospects among global audiences who will be following the tournament on live TV.
New Seychelles Brandy by XO “LA COCOFESSE”
In time for the festive season a new XO Island Brandy by Seychelles with a touch of the island’s unique and endemic Code de Mer nut aptly branded as “LA COCOFESSE” has hit the market. This will make a gift with a difference.
This week was Routes Africa in Kenya
Routes Africa, the intra-Africa route development forum, was this year held in Mombasa in Kenya.
Routes Africa 2019 was a great platform for African States and Airlines to meet, share ideas and learn from each other alongside IATA, AFRAA and many other Industry Experts, Bodies and Institutions.
The event was held at the PrideInn Paradise, Shanzu Beach in Mombasa. Routes Africa remains the region’s most long standing aviation forum bringing airlines, airports and tourism authorities together to discuss air services to, from and within Africa for over a decade.
2019’s edition of Routes Africa saw 250 delegates come together to experience the Routes Africa program.
As reported by the press on my participation at Routes Africa 2019:-
“Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles former Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine who is in Mombasa as a delegate invited for Routes Africa 2019 took to the stage yesterday along side Tony Griffith, the Senior Vice President Consulting at ASM, and as usual he spoke from the heart making points for the betterment of aviation and tourism.
St.Ange is today heading his own Saint Ange Tourism Consultancy and remains a sough after speaker at tourism and aviation forums and conferences. He also issues his own Saint Ange Tourism Report.
The need for political will was highlighted and for the continent’s accredited bodies to stand by the side of African Member States starting with the African Union, IATA AFRICA, AFRAA and the African Tourism Board.
St.Ange’s points were discussed overnight and earlier this morning in a meeting with Steven Small, the Director of Routes, the point was made and agreed that a meeting is needed between Routes, African Union (AU), African Tourism Board (ATB), IATA Africa and AFRAA.
Africa needs a coordination planning meeting in its opening of the air space, routes development and in so doing help tourism to rewrite its own narrative for Africa by Africa.
Steven Small of Routes has said he sees the need for such a meeting to be called and plans to followup.”
Some of the press coverage from the Mombasa Routes Africa event:-
https://morecreamthancoffee.com/routes-africa-2019-st-ange-advocates-for-betterment-of-aviation-tourism/
https://www.eturbonews.com/504012/african-tourism-board-focus-on-aviation-takes-a-big-step-forward-at-routes-mombasa/
South African Queen Zozi Tunzi Wins Miss Universe 2019
Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa is Miss Universe 2019
Zozibini Tunzi is Miss Universe 2019. She was crowned at the 68th edition of the Miss Universe competition that was held on December 8, 2019 at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, the United States.
it was Catriona Gray of the Philippines who crowned her successor Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa by the end of the event.
Congratulations to Miss Zozibini Tunzi and to South Africa for winning Miss Universe 2019
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