A UNESCO World Heritage site in Seychelles -- the Vallee de Mai -- has reopened its doors to visitors with a new booking system.

The Seychelles Islands Foundation's (SIF) which manages the site said the new system is part of efforts to ensure the health and safety of all visitors to the Vallee de Mai and its staff during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our new booking system allows us to better implement our health and safety guidelines, allowing us to effectively operate under the new normal imposed by COVID-19," Jeremy Raguain, project officer and outreach coordinator told SNA.  

He said that in this adjustment period, the implementation of the new system will also "help us to test and fine-tune the system so that hopefully it will be ready when tourism is relaunched in Seychelles." 

To book a visit to the Vallee de Mai, visitors must either email: vdmadmin@sif.sc  or call 2595400 or send a message via Whatsapp at least a day ahead of their visit. Visitors will be booked on the basis of selecting one-hour slots.

Furthermore, group sizes are limited to four people per visit and visiting hours are from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. The last entry open for the day is at 3.00 p.m. 

Visitors must provide their full name, contact numbers, the number of people in a group and the date and time of their visit.

Raguain told SNA that "a booking system has been in SIF's pipeline as a means of increasing our efficiency. COVID-19 has forced us to accelerate the implementation of this innovation in our processes."

The Vallee de Mai, located on the second-most populated island of Praslin, is home to the world's largest nut, the unique coco de mer and the endemic Black Parrot. It is the most-visited natural site in Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean.

"We believe that an intact natural environment with exceptional beauty contributes to the overall well-being of people which is extremely important in difficult and trying times as we are all experiencing. Therefore we want to offer a service to the community," said Raguain.

Forrás: www.seychellesnewsagency.com