President Michel to address key tourism forum
27.01.2010
President James Michel is to give a keynote speech today as the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) officially launches its annual marketing meeting.
With the theme of the forum being Consolidating Seychelles’ tourism industry, he will speak to around 600 people drawn from all sectors of society, appealing for Seychellois to align themselves behind the industry and to combine forces to ensure that tourism – one of the main pillars of the country’s economy – goes from strength to strength.
Other speakers at the International Conference Centre will include Vice-President Joseph Belmont, who also holds the portfolio for tourism; Louis D’Offay, chairman of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association; Ahmed Afif, principal secretary for finance; Barry Faure, principal secretary for foreign affairs; Captain David Savy, chairman of Air Seychelles; and Alain St Ange, director of tourism marketing.
The meeting will focus on all that has been achieved since the incorporation of the partnership between the government and the private sector to provide new impetus to Seychelles’ tourism in late 2009, as well as highlighting the many challenges ahead.
The STB’s new structure will also be introduced, along with plans for the future of the industry including the new concept of Seychelles tourism ambassadors.
These people will be chosen to promote Seychelles’ tourism industry in the countries in which they live, in close collaboration with the tourism board’s marketing wing.
The large number of guests at this year’s event reflects the desire on the part of the organisers to involve the largest number of Seychellois in the affairs of the tourism industry and to explain future strategies designed to raise to the maximum the profile of the Seychelles islands in existing, emerging and new markets worldwide.
Announcements on the new staff structure, in particular in its marketing wing, reflect the realignment of the STB’s resources to better serve the industry’s needs as and where required.
The official opening will be followed by three days of brainstorming and planning by all relevant forces in the tourism industry to map out the course ahead in the coming year, considered an especially important one for Seychelles’ tourism as it moves to consolidate its position.