Merry Christmas to you and a Happy New Year 2015 says Seychelles Minister of Tourism as he discusses tourism with press
Almasalla, ATP News-The Festive period is upon the world and it is often also a time for reflection. Seychelles is a country dependent on tourism for its economy which makes me as the island’s Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture so conscious on the continued for the world to work together to grow the tourism cake.
The UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) has declared that we have now reached the 1 billion mark in tourism movements. The UNWTO is the world umbrella organisation for tourism and it is where all serious tourism countries gather to work together for the continued consolidation of the tourism industry.
As Minister of Tourism I say thank you to Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the UNWTO and to his dedicated team, but it is also an important time for Ministers of Tourism from the Community of Nations to reflect in this festive period how we can all do more alongside the UNWTO to increase the appreciation of tourism as an industry helping economies of our respective countries and in providing jobs.
In Seychelles, as I sat last night admiring the daily spectacular sunsets our country has been blessed with, I said to a visiting press personality that more needs to be done for this key industry especially because it needs to be nurtured and cared for if we want it to deliver for us all.
Let me take this opportunity to wish Ministers of Tourism from the four corners of the world a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Let us rally behind the UNWTO and other bodies such as the ICTP and IIPT to keep the tourism industry in the limelight.
Alain St.Ange is the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture and a founding member of the ICTP (International Coalition of Tourism Partners). He also with of the Executive Board of the UNWTO.
