Handing over of first phase of Seychelles Tourism Academy

Following a one-year delay on the first phase of the Seychelles Tourism Academy, Yangtze Construction Company contractor, who won the tender for the project, ultimately met the revised deadline. On October 15, 2014, completion work on the first phase of the Seychelles Tourism Academy was handed over to the Seychelles Tourism Academy and Ministry of Tourism and Culture. The first phase which includes the main commercial kitchen and restaurant, student cafeteria, management classes, advanced diploma, and diploma classes, as well as two language labs will become operational during the first semester in January 2015.

“Unforeseen circumstances played negatively for the contractor to meet the original deadline of the project. Failure to meet the October 15 deadline would have resulted in heavy fines imposed on the contractor on a daily basis,” said Flavien Joubert, the Principal of the Academy.

With the completion and handing over of the first phase of the Seychelles Tourism Academy, the academy can now hope for a brighter future.

The Seychelles Tourism Academy is putting to task its staff to work closely with a local consultant and design for the academy landscaping. The academy is also awaiting delivery from Italy of a new sceptic tank system (STP) for the building. Mr. Joubert said he is overwhelmed with the project.

“Today it’s a great day for the Seychelles Tourism Academy. Now we are sure of the future, and we are looking forward to jump starting the second phase,” he said.

Seychelles Tourism Academy’s parent company, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, was tirelessly pushing for the completion and handing over of the first phase of the new Seychelles Tourism Academy. Alain St.Ange, the Minister for Tourism and Culture, visited the construction site of the academy a day prior to its handing over to see whether the work was up to standard and if the contractor rightly followed every minor detail of the project.

Minister St.Ange said that Seychelles needed a Tourism Academy that would do justice to the industry that remains the pillar of the Seychelles economy. “The works to complete the first phase of the academy was delayed. We kept the pressure on the contractors, and only yesterday I personally again visited the property accompanied by the principal of the school and his management. But now we have what we wanted and what we planned for Seychelles. The second phase should now be handed over in December, and only then shall we be launching the tender process for the third phase of the project. This is the training hotel and spa. Seychelles and especially the tourism industry of Seychelles will be proud of their new Tourism Academy,” Minister St.Ange said.

The second phase of the project will kick-start immediately.

Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP)