Didier Robert, the new President of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands succeeding in his vision for La Reunion Island
Almasalla – Arab Travel Portal News – Didier Robert, the President of the Regional Council of La Reunion Island has been working tirelessly to position the mid-ocean island of La Reunion on the tourism map. The island is next door to the Mauritius, the Seychelles, Madagascar, Mayotte and Comoros with natural attractions that includes an active volcano and mountains described as the ‘Switzerland of the Indian Ocean’. But La Reunion’s tourism industry had been stuck with only metropolitan France as its main and only source market whilst the other islands of the Indian Ocean opened their doors to the big wide world of tourism.
This was the situation President Didier Robert inherited when he came to office a few years ago as the new President of the Regional Council of La Reunion.
The La Reunion President of the island’s Regional Council knew of the challenges facing his island that was bound by the rules and laws of France as they remain a French territory. The challenges included the visa regulations of Europe which complicated lives of non-Europeans wanted to visit La Reunion Island. Tourists preferred to visit the other neighbouring islands where no visa complications existed. Air access was another major challenge as all decisions were taken from Paris for the mid-Indian Ocean Island.
This challenges pushed Didier Robert to play a leadership role in the relaunching of tourism for his La Reunion Island. He was a founding member of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Regional Organisation and became a committed partner working alongside Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mayotte, the Comoros and Maldives for the development of the tourism industry of the region.
Last week Didier Robert’s efforts started to reap the benefits for La Reunion Island as he was elected to the position of President of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands. This will help get La Reunion more visible and help it become relevant in the world of tourism. "I am succeeding in my vision for the tourism industry of La Reunion island. What I am doing will help the islanders of La Reunion when the tourism industry of the island grows" said Didier Robert after his election to the position of President of the Vanilla Islands.
Didier Robert replaces Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture who headed the Regional Organisation for two consecutive mandates.
