By Alain St. Ange
(Posted 27th September 2022)
The tourism industry that is marked yet again on this 27th September 2022, the day that is recognised as World Tourism Day, had heard calls for the implementation of sustainability in tourism as the world rethinks tourism. Many messages have been aired on this 2022 World Tourism Day, but the take-home call is sustainability.
After Covid-19 the world saw increased in energy and food costs resulting from the Russia / Ukraine war. Both these raised the alarm bell and were cause for concern. One or both were man-made or instigated and both fall in the need for a sustainable approach to research or the rule of law as both impacted directly on tourism as the industry that keep many a country of the world afloat.
In Seychelles twelve more Seychellois tourism pioneers were recognised and their name plaques unveiled at the Seychelles Tourism Pioneer Park at the Tourism Academy. This little gesture that started in 2015 by Alain St.Ange, the island’s former Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine Minister and that saw the Seychelles Tourism Pioneer Park opened by former President James Michel to honour Seychellois who have dedicated their lives to the country’s tourism industry and positioned where young people interested in the field are trained.
In 2015 former Minister Alain St.Ange said:- “Tourism is a business for each and every one of us. It has become the pillar of our economy, because we have all worked together in a successful public-private sector partnership to make a success of our tourism industry. We have seen dedicated Seychellois who have always stood by this industry. If it is what it is today, we must take into account that there were many individuals who have worked tirelessly even before we had our international airport, and that dedication to see our tourism industry flourish has helped give us today the industry we have. This is why the government felt that it was time that Seychelles honors and thanks its tourism pioneers,”.
On World Tourism Day 2022 Minister Sylvestre Radegonde unveiled twelve more names at the Seychelles Tourism Pioneer Park in the presence of former Minister Alain St.Ange, PS for Tourism Sherin Francis, Terence Max, the Head of the Tourism Academy and family and friends of the 2022 Pioneers.
Among the recognised names today are :
Joseph (Joe) Albert of TSS / Creole Travel Services,
Myriam St.Ange of Chateau St.Cloud at La Digue,
Executive Chef Ulrich Denis,
Gianni & Silvana Torsi of La Scala Restaurant,
Vicky Lanza of British Airways,
Doris Johnstone of British Airways,
Noellie Alexander a former Minister and Ambassador,
Chef Flavien Joubert, the former Principal of the Tourism Academy,
Restaurateur Arthuro Dagostini,
Marlene Lionnet of National Travel Agency (NTA),
Micheline Georges of Auberge Louis XV11 and
Le Jardin du Roi & Gregoire Payet of La Digue Island Lodge.
Alain St.Ange, who was last Sunday coined as the ‘Most Tourified Person in Seychelles and Abroad’ by Christine Ouma in OZORDI DIMANS Newspaper of the islands said after the ceremony that Tourism Day must see sustainability as we focus for the year ahead. “We can all plan forward but let us plan with a clearer vision bearing in mind that our actions can impact on the long-term livelihood of others if we are not talking about sustainability in our development”.
