HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON REUNION FOCUSES ON TOURISM
(Posted 19th June 2019)
President Didier Robert of Reunion and former Seychelles Tourism Minister Alain St.Ange, the current President of African Tourism Board met and discussed the Indian Ocean Region and the African continent’s tourism industry.
Alain St.Ange used his working visit to Reunion to meet Didier Robert, the island’s President to discuss tourism in the Vanilla Island region and the cooperation opportunities now available through the African Tourism Board.
Reunion Island is known as “Europe of the Indian Ocean” as they fly the French Flag and enjoy their unique position off the coast of mainland Africa. They also remain a leading proactive member of the region’s Vanilla Islands marketing group.
Reunion’s home airline, Air Austral is one of the region’s flourishing airline with routes covering Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros, Mayotte and South Africa. The airline is also in partnership with Air Madagascar giving it the largest route network on the Big Island. With the affiliate airline EWA they also operate to Tanzania and Mozambique.
President Didier Robert remains very much a leader who believes in cooperation and was instrumental working alongside Alain St.Ange as the then Seychelles Minister of Tourism in the creation of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands.
The two leaders discussed strengthening of the region’s tourism source markets and the opening of new potential markets such as Israel for the region.
President Didier Robert has a clear vision for his island and believes in tourism as an industry for wealth creation. He leads in sustainable tourism approach pushing forward renewable energy concept at the same time.
The African Tourism Board’s President, Alain St.Ange believes that Reunion should work with ATB and consolidate its tourism development further as they look at the Continent for further growth for Air Austral. Reunion IsIand is today enjoying real successes in Cruise Tourism, a tourism market targeted by the island’s President when he took over the Indian Ocean Vanilla Island’s Presidency from Alain St.Ange.
The two leaders also discussed the avaliabity of Alain St.Ange to particape as a resource person and speaker at coming tourism and environment conferences being planned in Reunion.
For additional information on Destination Vanilla Islands click on https://www.vanilla-islands.org/en/
