By Alain St.Ange of SAINT ANGE CONSULTANCY
The Editorial this week highlights:- a. Tourism consultancy missions in five African States. b. Seychelles National Day 2018. c. Seychelles suffers a further blow in saving its Assumption Island. d. €2m for sea defences to protect beaches and hotels of La Digue. e. Albert Geers knighted. f. Being proud of one’s culture is often said, but do we mean it?
Stand alone articles this week starts with:-
1. Denis Private Island of Seychelles makes big leap into renewable energy.
2. Tourism Book by Minister Elvis Mutiri wa Bashara launched in Kinshasa by Minister Jean-Lucien Bussa and Alain St.Ange.
3. Smart Destinations – UNWTO meeting.
4. Seychelles has fared well for the first half of 2018, says STB Chief Executive at annual mid-year marketing.
5.Vanilla has reached US $ 515 per kilo in June.
6. Seaweed now exploited for Seychelles by Seychellois.
7. Assises des Outre-Mer: Emmanuel Macron of France reaffirms the State’s full support for projects in region Réunion.
8. Yellow Fin Tuna in Seychelles – a catch of 30 weighing 30 – 40 kg each & more fish.
9. The top 10 places in the world to travel to if you want to de-stress – Trip Advisor.
10. Daniella Payet-Alis flies the Seychelles flag in the North Pole,
11. Sunscreen kills coral? Seychellois team selling safer product for ocean .
12. Hidden Pleasures on Private Isles (Seychelles makes the list with its Fregate Island).
13. TUI offers value guarantee for worldwide excursion programme.
14. Congratulations to Captain Caroline D’Offay.
15. International Newswires continue to republish our Report.
Tourism consultancy missions in five African States
The months of June and July are being marked with a number of invitations for Saint Ange Tourism Consultancy to travel on a number of working missions, that will take me to five mainland African Countries, to undertake assignments alongside Tourism Ministries and their Promotional Boards or Private Sector Organisations and other tourism related bodies. I started this five-country mission last week in Addis in Ethiopia, before travelling on to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). During the months of July and August, I will again be on the road travelling to Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
In Addis, among different meetings held, I also completed a successful working session with a group of Private Sector entrepreneurs who had come together to ensure their businesses remain relevant in Ethiopia’s Tourism Industry. We discussed their visibility and how to increase it to ensure relevance. We discussed key USPs and the need to use their destination’s strengths in their own drive.
Last Friday night in Kinshasa in the DRC, I took to the podium at the launch of the tourism book “Opportunities of Investments in Tourism” published by former Tourism Minister Elvis Mutiri wa Bashara through the European Universities Editions, and will also be involved in different meetings in the coming days.
After my term of office as Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine of the Seychelles, I launched my own tourism “Saint Ange Consultancy”. A year ago, after missing out on the position of Secretary General at the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation), when Seychelles under pressure of the African Union (AU) withdrew the island’s candidature. Today, I am regularly called upon as a speaker at tourism conferences and sit as a panelist at different industry conferences. I am also responsible for the weekly “Saint Ange Tourism Report” that is re-posted on most of the important tourism news wire right across the world.
I am proud to say that I was the First President of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands and I am today the President of the Seychelles Labor Union (SLU), Deputy Secretary General of FORSEAA (Forum of Small Medium Economic AFRICA ASEAN) based in Jakarta Indonesia, listed as a Consultant for TMN (Travel Marketing Network) in New York USA, Co-Chair of the SUNx (Strong Universal Network) Organisation in London UK, Vice President & Founding Member of ICTP (International Coalition of Tourism Partners) and a Member of the Advisory Board of the non-profit organisation “Helping Needy Welfare Society of India” .
Seychelles National Day 2018
On the 29th June 1976 Seychelles became an Independent Nation and ended the electoral call of the era for sovereignty and Nationhood. In 2018, 42 years later the call for self determination for Seychelles, and this by Seychellois for the whole of its territory.
Independence for Seychelles from Great Britain saw the return of the three islands of Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches that had been detached some ten years earlier (1965) to form the new British Indian Overseas Territory (BIOT) together with an island belonging to Mauritius that was all administered from Seychelles by the British Governor of the time. The loss of these islands caused a lot of frustration and saw a lot of protests by Seychellois who loved their territory. Seychellois must safeguard today what is theirs and they must work together to protect the sovereignty of their territory in its entirety.
The People of Seychelles were active on social media as the islands marked the anniversary of its Independence from Great Britain. We are posting a historical news clip of that important event of 29th June 1976 to remind ourselves of the day we became an Independent Nation.
View the video below.
Seychelles suffers a further blow in saving its Assumption Island
On the 29th June, Seychelles celebrated its Independence Day anniversary. This was also the anniversary of the return of its three islands of Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches, which had been transferred from Seychelles in November 1965 to form part of the new British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). During this same week of June 2018, news broke from India that Seychelles could now lose its Assumption Island, in what is being called “India’s drive for a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean Region”.
Seychelles President Danny Faure was on a six-day official visit to India and from New Delhi on June 25. It was reported that:- “India and Seychelles today agreed to work together on a project to develop a naval base at the Assumption Island keeping each other’s concerns in mind after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Danny Faure. India also announced a USD 100-million credit to Seychelles for augmenting its defence capabilities. “With this credit, Seychelles will be able to buy defence equipment to boost its maritime capacity,” Prime Minister Modi said in his joint media statement with Faure. On the project to develop a naval facility at the island, which would give India a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean Region, Modi said, “We have agreed to work together on the Assumption Island project based on each other’s rights.” Faure, in his remarks, said the Assumption Island project was discussed and the two countries equally engaged to work together bearing each other’s interests”.
These declarations are contrary to all that Seychelles had been assured. The Indian Military Base was deemed dead after the last Press Conference chaired by President Danny Faure. The island’s National Assembly had confirmed on its part that this proposed deal would not be entertained in the Legislature. Seychelles was told that its concerns about the closeness of Assumption Island to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aldabra had been noted, and the objection for an Indian Military base raised by the Seychellois had been heard. The visit by President Danny Faure in India has dealt another blow to every peace loving Seychellois with the Assumption Island affair, as India seeks a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean Region.
It is now the People of Seychelles as a whole who will need to work as one to save their island of Assumption and their UNESCO World heritage Site of Aldabra.
€2m for sea defences to protect beaches and hotels of La Digue
European Union (EU) to spend two million Euros for works on La Digue
The announcement that the EU’s flagship GCCA programme was investing €2m in building sea defences to protect beaches and hotels on the island of La Digue in Seychelles brought many reactions from environmentalists and Diguois. The island is suffering from Sand erosion at Anse Reunion, and the EU will now be investing Euro 2million to try to mitigate this de-stabilising phenomenon, which is partly man made.
For the last couple of years, the sand from Anse Reunion moves north, goes into the harbour, then dredged out to keep the harbour deep. The sand is then sold to the various building projects as fill, instead of being returned to the southern end of Anse Reunion to start it’s cycle again.
Sand movement is a natural phenomenon and if sand is just taken out, La Digue will end up being an island surrounded by a wall. The laws or regulations of Seychelles stops the removal of sand from its beaches, but on La Digue, under the watchful eye of the State, sand is not only removed by tons, but used for purposes that the laws or regulations were made to stop.
Today the EU will step in and spend Euro 2 million to try to mitigate what we are doing by ourselves to destroy the beauty of La Digue.
In our edition of the Saint Ange Tourism Report last week we published the proposed involvement and financial support of the European Union (EU) which brought a lot feedback and all pointing the finger to the Government’s removal of sand as the source of problems La Digue was today facing
Albert Geers knighted
Albert Geers of Seychelles is now a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau as appointed by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. The appointment was announced in a speech by the Dutch Ambassador Makken in a reception held during his last visit to Seychelles. Albert Geers was in shock and overwhelmed with emotion when the announcement was made.
Congratulations to Albert Geers!
Being proud of one’s culture is often said, but do we mean it?
Being proud of one’s culture is often said, but do we mean it? For culture to have the chance of finding itself, it needs to be given importance and it needs to be recognised. Culture in Seychelles in all its form is for Seychelles and for the Seychellois as a people. Our people, our music and dance, our cuisine in its diversity, our religion, our traditions and our style of living must be allowed to flourish. A Music Stadium to enable budding artists to perform and be discovered, and professionals on their part afforded the respect by having a decent performing stage for those ‘stars’ who entertain us. A museum to hold the treasures of where we come from to better appreciate who we are and where we want to go. A professional hotel and catering school to ensure our culinary treasures are not lost, and a school of music and dance to ensure what is ours is passed on to the generations to come. Some will only see financial profits as driving guidelines, but culture will provide for generations to come rewards that are unmeasurable in financial terms, but will be seen simply as a brand that defines the Seychellois as a people, as a race, and as a nation with a difference.
At Addis Ababa airport recently, service of traditional coffee was the show in their VIP lounge showing they are not shy of their culture. This is not a money making commercial operation, but one that shows the richness of Ethiopian Culture and one that tells the world that Ethiopia is a producer of good coffee. This show was photographed by most of those at the lounge because it is a cultural show and a real photo opportunity. Seychelles has its own roasted style of coffee beans and this art is fast disappearing to commercial approaches.
In the same line it can be said about showcasing Seychellois and Seychelloise as PR Officers / Hostesses / Guest Relations in hotel lobbies. They are our ‘local colour’ and know our country which makes it a plus for the island’s tourism industry. At the Radisson Blu in Addis Ababa this point came out clearly as that local helping hand simplified organisation of a trade meeting and provided information as was required. In Seychelles the time to relax recruitment for the back of house staff and encourage ‘local colour’ in front of house and demonstrate the pride; we have to be us.
It is important to again today acknowledge all who are diligently re-posting the Saint Ange Tourism Report weekly. Our Report ranges far and wide, from Australia to the Americas, from the Indian Ocean Vanilla islands to Africa & Asian and Greater Europe, with your continued support, which is greatly appreciated. You are helping us to grow from strength to strength with each new Edition.
Enjoy the read,
Alain St.Ange
Saint Ange Consultancy
your link : https://mailchi.mp/saintange/saint-ange-tourism-report-edition-26-of-2018
