UNWTO & UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture hears St.Ange of Seychelles in Ministerial Dialogue

The UNWTO and UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture entered this week a Ministerial Dialogue stage to discuss Building New Partnerships Models. This Ministerial Dialogue addressed the policy and governance framework necessary to foster a new collaboration model between tourism and culture to support responsible, culturally-aware, inclusive, and sustainable tourism that contributes to the socio-economic development of host communities, promotes cross-cultural exchanges, and generates resources for the safeguarding of tangible and intangible heritage.

Some forty Ministers of Tourism and Culture sat together for that session that was being moderated by Andrew Stevens, the known and respected Anchor/Correspondent of CNN.

Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, used that Ministerial Dialogue Session to position the Seychelles model and also to appeal to UNESCO to help instead of hinder the accession of heritage sites to their World Heritage sites list. Here he cited the Venn’s Town Slave Ruins at Mission Lodge on the island of Mahe as a tangible site with great historical value to Seychelles, to Africa as a whole, and to Europe and the world. Minister St.Ange also talked about the “Moutya” dance and rhythm which is seen and as an authentic traditional music and dance of these islands’ origination from the macabre part of history. “We are trying to safeguard such historical assets, and I believe that UNESCO has a duty to step in and assist to ensure we protect them instead of the bureaucratic approach of today that leaves many a nation and their Department of Culture questioning the modus operandi in place,” Minister St.Ange said.

The Seychelles Minister also talked about the island’s approach to make culture the base for their tourism industry. He cited the approach to claim back their tourism industry to ensure they, the people of the islands, saw themselves in the development of their tourism industry and the drive to get more Seychellois directly involved in tourism to kill the perception of “them and us” when looking at foreign investments in the industry. He spoke about how culture is today being integrated in this approach stating the Cultural District Award and their Creative Industry Policy that will help community-based tourism.

The very lively Ministerial Dialogue session that lasted some three hours, heard ministers from countries from across the globe state their position and answer questions as the session progressed under the watchful eye of Andrew Stevens of CNN and of Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the UNWTO, and the UNECSO representative.

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