SEYCHELLES SET FOR NEW HOTEL GRADING SYSTEM
(Posted 27th March 2015)
The Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and Culture has earmarked some 61 hotels, resorts and smaller locally owned accommodation units out of overall over 470 for the pilot phase of a new system to grade and rate them along internationally agreed standards.
It is understood that a catalogue of criteria is now in its final development stage and that stakeholder input is expected before the grading is rolled out across the entire archipelago. This is expected to be completed in 2016 at which time teams from the ministry will look at all hospitality businesses of 10 and more rooms. Smaller properties will be graded and classified under a slightly different scheme which will be aligned to the ‘Seychelles Secrets’ brand under which mainly locally owned B&B’s, holiday apartments, self-catering establishments homestay facilities come together for marketing this niche market.
The Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St. Ange, highlighted the need for the new approach when he said: ‘The marketing of Seychelles is working, but our attention needs to now look at the product that we market. The Brand Seychelles needs to live up to expectation’.
Notably will the authenticity of the islands manifest itself in the criteria as Creole food, service and interior design will be an integral part of the assessment exercise.
In a related development was it learned that lecturers from the Seychelles Tourism Academy are continuing to learn themselves new skills and upgrade their academic qualifications. Ten lecturers were awarded certificates after having successfully completed six weeks of intensive practical and theoretical training in food, beverage and restaurant with French cuisine expert Louis Leborgne.
Present for the short ceremony held on March 20th were the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St. Ange, the Principal Secretary for Tourism Ms. Anne Lafortune, the academy’s principal Flavien Joubert, French Embassy advisor Patrick Buzaud along with other staff from the ministry and the STA.
The Seychelles Tourism Academy has over the past two years undergone a dramatic change with the construction of new classrooms and other facilities and when the expansion is complete will be one of the best equipped hospitality and tourism training colleges in Africa, featuring the full range of application facilities including a small hotel, a Spa and two four and five star villas, where students can be trained hands on to be able to perform in the workplace the moment they are employed.
For information on Destination Seychelles click on www.seychelles.travel
