(Posted 17th July 2026)
Clevenard has confirmed that Amb. Dr. Alain St Ange, a former Seychelles government minister and internationally recognised tourism leader, will serve as a distinguished keynote speaker at the Clevenard Open Project 2026. The event runs from 27–30 August 2026 at the Palacio de Congresos Alicante, Spain, and will bring together authors, educators, and industry figures during the Global Authors’ Recognition & Education Summit.
Amb. Dr. St Ange will present a keynote titled “Tourism as a Global Catalyst: Transforming Economies, Cultures, and Communities.” His address will examine an important question in an industry often driven by growth targets: what does tourism actually leave behind for the communities that host it? Drawing on decades of work in destination branding, sustainable development, and cultural diplomacy, he will explore how travel can support economic growth while protecting the cultures and environments that make destinations worth visiting.
His career offers a substantial record to draw from. As the architect of the Vanilla Islands initiative, Amb. Dr. St Ange helped connect several Indian Ocean nations under a shared tourism strategy, a model that continues to inform regional cooperation elsewhere. His experience as a government minister, author, consultant, and political leader gives his analysis a rare breadth, spanning policy design, private-sector practice, and the day-to-day realities of managing a destination.
The keynote is expected to move past familiar talking points. Rather than framing tourism solely as an economic engine, St Ange approaches it as a tool that carries both opportunity and responsibility. His session will consider how international collaboration and sustainable planning can create lasting value for local communities, and how cultural preservation and commercial success can reinforce one another rather than compete.
Attendees at the summit can expect a discussion grounded in practical experience, aimed at governments, tourism boards, businesses, and emerging leaders who are weighing how their own decisions shape the places they promote.
The Clevenard Open Project 2026 continues throughout the four-day program in Alicante, with the Global Authors’ Recognition & Education Summit forming a central part of the schedule.
