Seychelles and Madagascar reinforce tourism relationship

Minister Pierrot J. Rajaonarivelo, the Madagascar Minister of Foreign Affairs, welcomed Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister of Tourism and Culture, at his Antananarivo Offices at 36 Rue Andriamifidy for a one-to-one meeting to discuss cooperation between Seychelles and Madagascar and to reinforce the relationship in the domain of tourism and trade.

Minister Rajaonarivelo of Madagascar said that he had been informed of the statements made by the Seychelles Minister during his address at the Official Opening of the 2012 International Tourism Fair of Madagascar, and also those made by the Seychelles Minister during his different press interviews, and that he wanted to thank Minister St.Ange for his understanding of the need to work together to develop tourism for the region as a whole, as we all look at our own particular development.

The Seychelles Minister took that opportunity of his meeting with the Madagascar Minister of Foreign Affairs to reiterate that tourism, as an industry, needed to be consolidated in the region as a whole, and that this can and should be done outside the influences or difficulties of a political nature. “Tourism is an industry of the people, and it was, therefore, important to let the people strengthen their industry, which provides employment directly and indirectly for the people of our respective countries. Tourism is also able to become and then remain the economic motor behind our islands’ economies,” Minister St.Ange said.

The two ministers discussed the presence of Madagascar at the Routes Africa forum in Seychelles and also at the 2013 edition of the annual Carnaval International de Victoria, which is also staged in Seychelles. This year’s edition of the carnival in the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands was co-hosted by Seychelles and La Reunion.

The Seychelles Minister St.Ange was in Madagascar on a working visit to attend the International Tourism Fair of Madagascar.