UNWTO RACE ENTERS THE FINAL STRETCH AS THE NOMINATION DEADLINE IS HERE
(Posted 11th March 2017)
Following an appearance of outgoing Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai at the Seychelles stand at the just ended ITB in Berlin, where he praised the acumen and abilities of Alain St. Ange, did the tourism ministers of both Kenya and Seychelles, Najib Balala and Maurice Loustau-Lalanne have further discussions with the immediate former Minister for Civil Aviation, Tourism, Ports and Marine Alain St.Ange.
Said St. Ange to this correspondent:
‘The two destinations are well connected by Kenya Airways. The friendly ties between Seychelles and Kenya date way back. Historically many Seychellois travelled to Mombasa and Nairobi for work when the islands were still a British Colony and to date many Kenyan of Seychellois origin still like and work on Kenya.
Tourism in Europe needs to be defended. European Countries are tourism destinations in their own rights as they are at the same time tourism source markets for the world. The new SG of the UNWTO will need to be the facilitator for each and every tourism minister to help safeguard safety labels and in so doing protect tourism and air travel. This we can deliver by involving Ministers of Internal Affairs, Transport, the Press, ICAO, IATA and Airport Authorities. This will be a mission for me if I take over from Taleb Rifai‘.
St.Ange is well known in the world of tourism. He comes from the private sector before being appointed to lead the island’s Tourism Board as its CEO and later appointed Minister. His long private sector experience keeps him in touch with the tourism industry at large which is the main reason for the swelling number of endorsements he is accumulating since he threw his name as a candidate for SG of the UNWTO.
St.Ange also remains a staunch and outspoken defender of Women Rights, LGBT Groups, People with Disabilities, Children Rights. He keeps stressing that respect of people immaterial of colour, creed, religion, politics and sexual preferences must and will be on his agenda at the UNWTO if he makes it at May elections.
