By Alain St.Ange of SAINT ANGE CONSULTANCY
Welcome to Edition #2 of 2017. The feedback from last week’s edition was overwhelmingly positive and heartening. The words of encouragement were indeed appreciated. I thank all the online Newswires who reposted the Tourism Report. You are indeed friends who are ready to work together for the good of the tourism industry.
I would also like to thank Kate Carolus of the Today Newspaper of Seychelles for the short article announcing the launch of Saint Ange Tourism Consultancy. I am also very grateful to all the Tour Operators and Travel Agents who requested that their email addresses be added to our mailing list.
In this edition, we have reposted links to the Newswires with our first edition in case some of you missed it.
In the ever-evolving field of tourism, it is integral that we understand the industry.
All too often we hear political leaders discussing tourism, oblivious of the real challenges faced by the tourism trade and the effects on those working tirelessly in the industry.
Tourism is not a merely a hotel or a resort, nor is it the DMC (Destination Management Companies), nor is it the airlines. Though these are part and parcel of the industry, the country as a whole is the destination being chosen over another for a holiday. The country encompasses the people, the rich culture in all its splendour and diversity, and the natural wonders which the country alone boasts. Tourism is specific to a nation and efforts to promote it must be tailored and individualised to the country seeking to rely on this multi-faceted industry.
The days when a five-star resort or hotel could be plonked just about anywhere and clamour for greatness are long gone. Visitors are no longer content to be confined by the marble walls of the luxury tourism complex; they are now seasoned travellers with an unquenchable thirst to experience not only all what the hotel has to offer, but also what is outside of their luxury establishment. They want bang for their buck, to use the colloquial phrase, and in this competitive industry all hoteliers must strive to deliver.
Tourists want to immerse themselves in the culture unique to a nation. This leads me to my recent troubling experience on my island home in Seychelles, La Digue, where the predominant means of transportation is the humble bicycle. As a young boy, I used to ride my bicycle around the island, using it to get to and from school. As a grown man, this is still my preferred means of getting around the island.
It has been leaked through the grapevine, another traditional way of obtaining morsels of pertinent news, that the Licencing Department intends on issuing restrictions on the use of bicycles on the island. Specifically, it is whispered in hushed tones that locals will no longer be able to use their beloved bicycle as a means of carting their goods. If this is true, then it will be an unfortunate state of affairs for the locals.
http://mailchi.mp/bd63c28fd5e7/saint-ange-tourism-report-2nd-edition?e=ed3d416d00
