MIDDLE Eastern investors are pumping more than $1.3 billion into the Seychelles economy with the islands’ tourism offering set to be bolstered by 3,161 new rooms in the coming years.
The new facilities will be mainly concentrated on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue with a small number scattered over other islands.
In total 108 new tourism establishments are expected to open – 29 large hotels, 41 small hotels, 52 guesthouses, 96 self-catering facilities and four luxury villas – and visitor numbers are rising.
In 2008, the islands welcomed 158,952 travellers, the number dropped in early 2009 but by the end of the year had picked up to 157,541 and so far to June of this year the figure had reached 83,673 – 14 per cent up on 2009 and a seven per cent increase on 2008.
A recent government restructure emphasised the importance of tourism to the national economy when President James Michel took on the tourism portfolio which previously came under the vice president’s office.
The Seychelles Tourism Board also got a new chairman in Barry Faure, who became Secretary of State in the president’s office, and former director of tourism marketing Alain St Ange was appointed CEO.
The almost evangelical St Ange is a hotelier by profession who was also recently elected as vice chairman of the Seychelles Hospitality & Tourism Association bringing together the private and public sectors.
 |
St Ange…forward thinking |
He was brought into government in 2009 to revive the flagging tourism industry and he has been instrumental in encouraging public/private partnerships and launching the Affordable Seychelles campaign, aimed at moving away from the perception that the Seychelles is a destination only for the rich and famous.
He said: “The new spirit of togetherness now so evident in Seychelles has been the catalyst for bringing out the success Seychelles is today experiencing in its tourism industry. The public/private sector partnership put in place a year ago by President James Michel have shown that it is by working together that we become strong.
“As the new CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board I shall continue to work alongside my private sector colleagues to consolidate the gains made so far.
“Seychelles has defied world trends because it successfully re-launched itself as an affordable tourism destination offering accommodation establishments for every budget and for every market. We spent last year consolidating our core markets and we have worked to diversify our base by opening up and working on further developing new and secondary markets such as la Reunion, South Africa, Kenya, India, China, Singapore and Korea.”
Middle East-funded projects due to open this year include Raffles Seychelles Resort and Residences, on the north point of Preslin – comprising 90 free-standing hotel units and 23 individual free-standing three, four and five-bedroom villas on secluded lots adjacent to the resort – the European Hotel and Round Island Resort, which is in the final stage of completion.
Round Island Resort is set to be a top-end exclusive destination featuring just 10 secluded oceanfront beach villas, all with their own private infinity pools just steps from the beach. The five-acre island resort will be managed by Dubai-based hospitality company Jebel Ali International Hotels as part of the Enchanted Seychelles collection and will also host the Serena Round Island Spa, managed by Serena Spa.