SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS AND ST. ANGE IS BANKING ON IT AS THE UNWTO ELECTIONS COME NEARER
(Posted 23rd March 2017)
The latest data from the Seychelles National Bureau of Statistics confirm the trend of growing arrival numbers in 2017.
By the end of last week had 23 percent more visitors set foot on the archipelago’s islands, affirming that the marketing strategies and sales activities put in place and motion by immediate former Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine have born plenty of fruits.
The course is being stayed by present Minister Maurice Loustau-Lalanne whose team at the Seychelles Tourism Board has remained intact, ensuring continuity and keeping those tasked to do the hard work of keeping the Seychelles under the global spotlight on board.
The top source countries once again were Germany which just pipped France into second place again but is set to increase their numbers when Air Seychelles launches their twice a week Duesseldorf flights, nonstop from Mahe, in a few weeks time.
Country and number of visitors in 2017 to far:
Germany 9,513
France 9,443
China 4,439
Russia 4,410
United Arab Emirates 4,272
Italy 4,061
The number of holidaymakers visiting Seychelles in 2016 was 23% above the 2016 level. In real numbers this translates to 73.512 tourists this year compared to 60.564 over the same period last year.
St. Ange in his campaign for the top job at UNWTO banks on such achievements as he can look back at his time in public service, first the Seychelles Tourism Board and then as Minister at uninterrupted growth without compromising on environmental issues, including proposing and putting into place a moratorium on large new resort developments, large being with room or villa numbers in excess of 25.
Seychelles’ unique position in the world, in the world of tourism and the world at large, of being friends with all and enemies of none, too is aiding St. Ange’s standing among the electors who in May will cast their vote to select one of 7 candidates as the new Secretary General Designate for the UN’s World Tourism Organization.
Standing down as Minister to pursue his UNWTO campaign has also earned St. Ange considerable plus points among his global peers who appreciate the principles shown and hope that such an approach can be translated into an energetic new regime at UNWTO should he be elected.
