ALAIN ST ANGE was recently appointed CEO of Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), he speaks to TTN about making tourism a priority and future plans for the islands.
President James Michel recently took tourism into his own portfolio, what was the reasoning behind this and what difference will it make to the future of tourism in the Seychelles?
President Michel fully recognises the importance of tourism to the economy of Seychelles and his direct, personal involvement in matters regarding tourism will be of great benefit to the industry. It will assist in speeding up procedures, fast-tracking priority issues and generally providing impetus where it is most needed.
What are the most up-to-date arrival figures for Seychelles in 2010 and how do these compare with previous years?
The target for this year was a growth of five per cent. The latest figures show we are well on the way to achieving this. So far visitor arrivals are up by 12 per cent compared to 2009. Should this trend continue we could be well on the way to achieving another record year in visitors and surpass the 2007 record of 161,273 visitors.
Is the destination popular with Middle Eastern visitors and what are the numbers from this region? Has this remained stable or are the numbers growing?
The Middle East market is a popular one for Seychelles due to its geographical proximity, the contrast in topography and climate and also because a Seychelles vacation offers a great diversity of experiences as well as an excellent choice of accommodation options, 2010 visitor arrival figures from the region stand at approximately 42 per cent over 2009.
Seychelles seems to have suffered little in the economic recession, to what do you attribute this?
The financial crisis in Europe and the IMF economic reform programme in 2008 really affected us. However, the trade seems to have adapted to the new economic climate and responded well to the situation with campaigns such as ‘Affordable Seychelles’ and other initiatives that made Seychelles more competitive. Overall I think the country seems to have persevered and we now have to build on that and further consolidate our efforts.
You were recently appointed as CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, how much does your new role differ from what you were already doing?
My previous post was director of marketing, one which I still hold but along with responsibility for the whole of STB and its various wings, which now comprise the Seychelles Tourism Academy, International Conference Centre, Craft Village and Anse Royale Beach Park.
You have spoken many times about the private/public partnerships in place in Seychelles. Can you give some examples of these?
Echoing the spirit of the times, tourism itself is a classic example of such a partnership, where the private sector is now in the driving seat, with government acting as facilitator.
Seychelles is currently attracting significant overseas investment, can you put an overall figure on this? Where is it coming from? How much from the Middle East? And to what do you attribute this interest?
Based on approved projects the total investment in accommodation expected in the next two to three years will be about $3 billion and a large part of it will be from Middle East investors. This shows the confidence which these investors have in our tourism industry and the Seychelles economy.
What difference will this investment make? I understand the exact figures may still be confidential but can you give an approximation of the number of new tourism establishments to be developed?
These investments will further enhance the tourism industry and expand the product base that Seychelles has to offer. They are also important if Seychelles is to achieve its target of 360,000 visitors by 2017. More than 20 new accommodation projects have been approved so far.
What is the Seychelles’ current capacity and how many new rooms are envisaged? Is this investment purely hotels or are there other developments planned also?
There are approximately 3,000 rooms in operation presently and another 3,000 are expected to come into operation in the next two to three years from those approved accommodation projects. These investments include hotels and villas. There are also investments in infrastructure and support services, such as transport services, airport, port, etc, which are necessary to meet the demand and expected growth in the tourism industry.
What is being done to protect the islands’ unique character and environment in the face of development?
Seychelles has strong conservation laws stretching back several decades which have resulted in almost 50 per cent of our limited landmass being set aside as natural parks and reserves. In Seychelles, development will continue to take place, but hand in glove with concern for the character of the destination, environment and local community.
What are your plans for the future of Seychelles tourism and are there any promotions to attract further visitors from the Middle East planned?
Seychelles will continue to promote the ‘Seychelles Experience’ in existing markets and at the same time tap into new ones that show potential. Diversification is the name of the game and we shall certainly be doing all in our power to continue attracting visitors from the Middle East through a variety of campaigns, promotions and special offers.