The Seychelles celebrates the 2nd
edition of the Tourism Festival
The Seychelles Tourism Festival 2019 came
to an end on World Tourism Day, Friday September 27, 2019 after an eventful
week of celebrating and promoting the importance of tourism in Seychelles.
This year’s festival was centred on the
theme ‘We Are Tourism: Our Pathway to Prosperity’ and focused on raising
awareness of the role and significance of tourism in our country.
The second edition of the festival was
officially launched by Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine,
Didier Dogley, at the annual Tourism Ball, organised by the Seychelles Tourism
Board (STB) and the Tourism Festival Committee, at Constance Ephelia on
Saturday September 21, 2019.
The theme for this year’s ball was ‘Under
the Sea’, which was reflected in the decorations made of recycled materials.
In attendance were tourism partners and stakeholders who united to
celebrate the tourism industry. Minister Miriam Thelemaque, Minister of
Employment, Immigration and Civil Status and Minister Maurice Loustau-Lalanne,
Minister of Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning also attended the
event.
Minister Dogley and Mrs Sybille Cardon, Chairman of the Seychelles
Hospitality and Tourism Association, placed great emphasis on the significance
of sustainability in their speeches, noting that it is crucial for the survival
of the tourism industry.
The evening saw performances from Aaron Jean, who performed a song
composed for the occasion by Jean Marc Volcy, and Joe Samy who performed his song ‘Oceans and
Visions’.
The Tourism Ball was followed by the Food
Fiesta the next day, which took place at Beau Vallon on Mahe and Cote D’Or on
Praslin. The event featured the waiter’s race, in which waiters and waitresses
from different hotel establishments as well as students from the Seychelles
Tourism Academy participated.
The food fiesta gave the Seychellois public
exposure to the culinary experience that tourists have access to during their
stay in the Seychelles.
On Monday 23, 2019, seven tourism pioneers
of the tourism industry were recognised in a ceremony at the Seychelles Tourism
Academy. Andiana Hoareau nee Sandapin, Brendon Grimshaw, Achille Kwame Luc,
Philipe L’Efevre Karl St. Ange, Philibert Loizeau, Mathew Servina were each
honoured with a plaque in the Tourism Pioneers Park.
The youth played a significant role in this
year’s tourism festival, participating in both the ‘Adopt a Student’ forum on
Tuesday 24, 2019 and the French Public speaking competition on Thursday 26,
2019.
Concretising what Minister Dogley expressed
in his speech at the launching ceremony regarding the importance of educating
the youth on what the tourism industry entails at an early age instead of
waiting for them to specialise.
For the ‘Adopt a Student’ forum, primary
and secondary students selected by the Ministry of Education for a brief
internship in several hotels came to share their experiences with their peers.
This exposure gave students a better idea
what a career in tourism entails, therefore encouraging more students to choose
this path. The programme generated positive feedback from both the students and
the hotels, who appreciated the initiative by the Ministry of Tourism and the
Ministry of Education.
The participating schools and hotels were
Takamaka Primary attached with DoubleTree by Hilton Seychelles Allamanda Resort
& Spa; Bel Ombre Primary with Savoy Seychelles Resorts & Spa; Beau
Vallon Secondary also with Savoy and Hilton Seychelles Labriz; English River
Secondary with Hilton Seychelles Northolme; Anse Boileau Secondary with
Constance Ephelia Seychelles and Avani Hotels & Resorts; and Grand Anse
Primary with Constance Lemuria Seychelles and Hotel L’Archipel. The Human
Resource officers from the hotels were also present to share their experience
with the students.
Another activity involving the youth was
the ‘Concours d’expression orale’, organised by STB in conjunction with the
Ministry of Education. This was a French public speaking activity involving
schools in Seychelles at primary, secondary and post-secondary level. The
discussions were based off the world tourism day theme “Le Tourisme et
l’emploi: Un avenir meilleur pour tous”, and students seized the opportunity to
showcase their fluency in French, one of our official languages which is often
overlooked and less popular. Minister Jeanne Simeon, Minister of Education and
Human Resource Development was also present at the event.
The winner for the Primary school group was
Baie Sainte Anne Praslin, with Mont Fleuri in second place and Glacis in third
place. For the Secondary group, Pointe Larue landed first place, followed by
Plaisance in second place and Anse Royale in third place. At Post Secondary
level, SITE won first place, whilst STA came out second.
Aside from the youth, employees in the
tourism sector also had activities of their own during the week of festivities.
A tourism mass was held on Wednesday
September 25, 2019 at Plaisance Church, attended by staff from the Seychelles
Tourism Board, the Department of Tourism and Seychelles Civil Aviation
Authority with the participation of the Seychelles Tourism Academy students and
staff.
The service was followed by a beach
clean-up with employees of STB, Department of Tourism contributing to the Clean
up the World campaign. This campaign is one which crucial to the tourism
industry, as it supports the conservation of the Seychelles pristine beauty.
On World Tourism Day itself, Friday
September 27, 2019, the STB partnered with Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority
and Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation for a special “Meet and Greet” at
the Seychelles International Airport.
Arriving visitors were greeted by a live
band and traditional dances were performed. Many engaged with the performance;
joining in to dance or capturing the moment with ‘That Selfie Mirror
Seychelles’. Tourists were also given the ‘Pristine Seychelles’ badge along
with a bookmark that included small tips on how to be a responsible traveller
whilst exploring the islands.
Departing visitors were given the chance to
share their experiences in the Seychelles and what their contributions to
sustainability were or could be, which was documented by the SSTF team.
Due to weather, the scheduled Meet and
Greet at the Botanical garden was cancelled. However, the staff of the Seychelles
Tourism Board and Department of Tourism united for a brief gathering honouring
Tourism Day, where STB Chief Executive, Mrs Sherin Francis and Principal
Secretary Mrs Anne Lafortune shared a few words with the employees.
The Tourism Festival came to a close at
Hilton Northolme Resort and Spa, during a panel discussion of the festival
theme “Tourism and Jobs: a better future for all”.