BADEA’s chairperson pledges continued support to the Seychelles Tourism Academy
ATP- Arab tourism portal- The chairperson of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa’s (BADEA) board of directors Yousef Ibrahim Al-Bassam has pledged to keep supporting the Seychelles Tourism Academy if need be.
Mr Al-Bassam who is also the vice-president and managing director of the Saudi Fund for Development said this while addressing those who were present at a plaque-unveiling ceremony at the Seychelles Tourism Academy on Wednesday the 11 November.
Along with the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St.Ange and the Minister for Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy Jean-Paul Adam, he unveiled the plaque which depicts that the academy has been financed jointly by BADEA and the government of Seychelles.
This was done in the presence of the principal secretary for tourism Anne Lafortune, principal of the academy Flavien Joubert, and other guests.
Speaking at the event, Minister St.Ange said the President of the Republic James Michel officially unveiled the plaque to open the academy earlier in June but it is also an honour to have his excellency from Badea to unveil a plaque that marks that this international organisation has been part and parcel of this project.
“You believed in us and you understood the message that we wanted to pass on, stating that for our tourism industry to work, to be of high standards and to keep being the pillar of our economy, we need to have a solid foundation, and this starts at the tourism academy,” Minister St.Ange said.
Minister St.Ange echoed words of thanks to BADEA for seeing the importance of this project and for supporting the academy and the future of the tourism industry of Seychelles.
Mr Al-Bassam commended the government of Seychelles for initiating such a project for students pursuing a career in the tourism sector.
The delegation from Badea was then given a tour so that they could see the new facilities and the completed phase of the project. They were then hosted to a lunch at the new restaurant by Minister St.Ange.
