aTP- Arab tourism portal- Minister Najib Balala of Kenya and Minister Alain St.Ange of the Seychelles have been sitting together to discuss ways at strengthening their working partnership in the consolidation of tourism in Indian Ocean Region.
The Kenyan and Seychellois Tourism Ministers who were together at the FITUR Tourism Trade Fair in Spain, also attended together the 1st Morocco Day for Sustainable and Responsible Tourism that was held in Rabat in Morocco.
Both Tourism Ministers spoke about the need for the two countries and the other neighbours in the Indian Ocean to work even closer together to ensure that the region’s tourism industry is further consolidated. Cooperation between the East Africa Block of Countries and the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands was also discussed and it was agreed that at least for Kenya and its Lamu Island discussions for greater cooperation could be on the agenda during bilateral talks between the tourism departments of the two countries scheduled on the sidelines of the annual Carnaval International de Victoria that is held in Seychelles from the 22 to the 24 of April.
The question of Tourism Sustainable Label for the region was also discusses and both Ministers agree to work with UNEP to see if this idea could be developed further. "Kenya is now talking of direct flights with Royal Air Maroc. This is a connection that is so needed between Marocco and East Africa and even the Indian Ocean Region, and the more we can cooperate bilaterally the more we can reap benefits for our respective countries and in so doing for the region" said Minister Alain St.Ange after the meeting.
