STB SIGNS PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY
The Seychelles Tourism Board and Seychelles National Parks Authority have further cemented their already strong partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday 24 September 2012 at the Seychelles Tourism Board head office in Bel Ombre.
Aimed to coincide with the Seychelles Tourism Week, the signing of the agreement was the first activity to start off the weeklong tourism activities that the Seychelles Tourism Board has put together to celebrate the UNWTO World Tourism Day 2012, which this year is taking place under the theme Tourism and Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development.
Celebrated annually on 27 September, each year the Seychelles Tourism Board holds a week of activities centred on tourism to mark this important day in the calendar of the tourism industry, culminating in the annual Seychelles Tourism Ball.
The MOU was signed by the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board Mrs. Elsia Grandcourt and her counterpart, the CEO of the SNPA, Denis Matatiken.
The MoU commits the two parties in their effort to further develop their existing partnership for the greater good of the island’s rich biodiversity and natural attractions and reinforces the effort of the Seychelles Tourism Board and SNPA to cooperate on important issues related to the marketing of the Protected Areas, as well as the associated biodiversity. The main terrestrial national park on Mahe, the MorneNational Park is a major tourism attraction for hiking, bird watching and to explore the mountains of the archipelago’s main island. Over 50 percent of the Seychelles are now under legal protection as national parks as well as marine parks, making the country the global leader in this field. After signing the MOU, Mrs. Grandcourt expressed her satisfaction for the enhanced partnership between the two organisations.
Said Mrs. Grandcourt on the occasion of signing: ‘The agreement is proof that STB will continue to work very closely with SNPA. We will make sure that as many journalists and tour operators that visit our islands get the chance to explore our terrestrial and marine park and that they have enough information on the conversation and protection [sic: we provide] to safe guard this natural environment.’
Mr Matatiken replied that the agreement formalized the working relationship that already existed between the two departments and added:’ Seychelles has a lot to offer its visitors apart for sand and sea, these parks are open for tourists, so they can enjoy our natural attractions. Tourism is the core of our economy and it’s important that we sustain our natural environment which makes all the difference for tourists’.
True enough, Seychelles, Another World.
