Seychelles tourism industry digs in to keep Seychelles green

“Planting trees is essential to keep our environment green for future generations. We must continue to be seen to be good custodians of what we have; this is why we mud whorl together to keep on with the preservation of our unique environment,” said Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister for Tourism & Culture.

Mr. St.Ange was speaking at a tree planting ceremony held at the Morne Blanc National Park on the main island of Mahe, as one of the final events being held to mark this year’s edition of the Seychelles Tourism Week.

A group of employees from the Seychelles Tourism Board, together with another group from the Seychelles Breweries Ltd., a faithful partner in this year’s events, arrived at Morne Blanc National Park very early on Saturday morning to do their part in the 20,0000 trees planting campaign aimed at the reforestation of Seychelles.

“I am proud to announce today that we have hit the 18,000 mark in our campaign, and we are well on our way to reaching our target,” said Ministry of Environment representative, Flavien Joubert.

True to form, those present took the shovels and hoes provided by the Department of Environment specifically for planting the 80 endemic palm trees.

“We must realize that without the environment there is no tourism industry, it is for this reason that such activities are essential to helping this industry flourish,” said Mr. St.Ange. This message was reinforced by Mrs. Patricia Berthelot, the Managing Director of Seychelles Breweries Limited.

In a little over an hour, after enthusiastically ploughing their way through the allocated areas in the park, all those present were able to finish planting their plants.

At the end of the exercise, the Seychelles Tourism Board, Seychelles Breweries Ltd., and those from the Department of Environment agreed that they would hold more such activities in the future, as Seychelles’ pristine nature was a key element of attracting visitors to its shores.