Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association will work closely with island s Tourism Ministry
Almasalla,Gate Arab Tourism News- Freddy Karkaria, the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association newly elected chairman met with Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St.Ange at the Minister s Offices at ESPACE building last Monday. This was the first meeting between Mr Karkaria and Minister St.Ange since he has taken the chairmanship of this private sector tourism organisation.
Present for the meeting were the principal secretary for tourism Anne Lafortune and the chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board Sherin Naiken.
During the meeting, Mr Karkaria presented an overview of challenges as seen by the private sector and objectives the Industry’s Association has set to achieve as a tourism body.
The Chairman of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association proposed for regular contact meetings and it was agreed in the meeting, that it is important for the Chairman of this association to meet with the Tourism Minister on a monthly basis to discuss issues relating to the tourism industry and to find ways of overcoming such obstacles, to look at challenges and to share in the successes of the industry.
Meetings with the whole Board of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association will also be held on a quarterly basis, whereby the association’s board members would be present as well as the newly appointed executive director Kate Carolus.
Mr Karkaria also requested to join Minister St.Ange on his next door-to-door visit of tourism establishments on Praslin and that he be accompanied by Kate Carolus. Minister Alain St.Ange who congratulated the new Chairman of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association on his election assured him that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and the Seychelles Tourism Board would be continuing to work closely with the industry’s association. The Minister welcomed the request for monthly meetings with the Chairman of the Association and for quarterly meetings with the Board of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association.
The Minister also welcomed the request by Mr Karkaria for him and Kate Carolus, the Executive Director of the Association to also accompany him and his delegation on the door-to-door visits of tourism establishments and this starting with the next such visit on Praslin. "Today I reassured Mr Karkaria and his Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture is managed with an open-door policy.
The success of the island’s tourism trade is success for the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and for our Tourism Board. The tourism trade remain the front line of our industry, and we need to continue to work with an approach of consultation with the island’s tourism trade.
This is why we have welcomed Mr Karkaria and Ms Carolus to accompany us in our series of door-to-door visits of tourism establishments across the country.
We are sure that this will be as good for the Industry’s Association as it is for the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and its Tourism Board because it will be an opportunity for them to see for themselves the challenges the hotel industry face on the ground and for them to also better appreciate the successes of the industry" said Minister St.Ange after the meeting held wit Mr Karkaria.
