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President of the Vanilla Islands & Minister of Tourism from the Seychelles says thank to the President of the Regional Council of La Reunion Island
Almasalla Arab Travel Portal News – Alain St.Ange, the sitting President of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Organisation and Minister of Tourism and Culture of the Republic of Seychelles has written to President Didier Robert, the President of the Regional Council of La Reunion to say thank you for making available another budget for the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands. The letter follows the approval by the Permanent Commission of the La Réunion Island Regional Council for another budget for the Vanilla Islands Program.
The Permanent Commission of the La Réunion Island Regional Council met last Tuesday 1st April at the ‘Hotel de Region Pierre Lagourgue’ under the Chairmanship of Didier Robert, the President of the Regional Council of La Reunion. During this session of the Permanent Commission, the Regional Advisers examined 40 reports. The Commission decided, among others, "to mobilize an envelope of Euros198,000 in regional capital stock and Euros 410,132 from the European funds FEDER POCT – for the Vanilla Islands action plan 2014".
President Didier Robert said that the Vanilla Islands provides a chance to strengthen tourism in the Indian Ocean region. "In 2013, nearly 25,000 tourists came to La Réunion Island through the combined strategy Vanilla Islands. The Commission has decided to mobilize an envelope of €198 000 regional capital stock and €410 132 on European funds FEDER POCT on behalf of the Vanilla Islands Association program for 2014 to help with the stated objective of increasing the number of tourists in the Indian Ocean area through the promotion of the cultural identity of each island" President Didier Robert said in the deliberations.
The concept of Vanilla Island launched in 2010 and groups together seven islands of the Indian Ocean ( La Réunion; Mauritius; Madagascar; The Seychelles; The Comoros, Mayotte and the Maldives). This initiative was welcomed by Mr Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization who personally chaired the last WTO international conference held in La Réunion in 2013. Minister Alain St.Ange of the Seychelles will see the end of his mandate in May this year when he will pass the mantle on to the new President who would be agreed upon at the Ministerial Meeting scheduled to take place in Seychelles on the 23 of April. Minister St.Ange said that he salutes the commitment of President Didier Robert and for his determination to see the Indian Ocean islands marketed as the new tourism region. "The Vanilla islands are a grouping of member states or islands. Each island gets out of this organization as much as they put in. It is not enough anymore to just say we are a member of the Vanilla islands, we need to be seen as being a member" Minister St.Ange said.
