Which island nation consumes the most champagne in Africa?

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Written by Alain St.Ange

Drinking champagne is a must in several events organised by tourism establishments in Seychelles. The festive mood that the sea and sand brings also makes people in Seychelles – mostly its happy vacationers, actually – more likely to consume a bit of the bubbly.

Seychelles consumes more champagne per person than any other country in Africa, according to a report published last month by a French organisation “Comite Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne” (CIVC).

The consumption of Seychelles per person is at 350 bottles per 1,000 inhabitants — or about a third of a bottle per person per year — putting the archipelago in the western Indian Ocean top of the list in Africa.

A neighbouring island nation, Mauritius, is second with 93 bottles per capita with Gabon third with 66 bottles per 1,000 inhabitants.

The corporate relations manager of Seychelles-based East Indies company, Michael Saldanha, said, โ€œWe have recorded a spike in champagne sales over the last three years nationally, compared to our usual trends.โ€

The company said that the champagne Moรซt & Chandon is the most popular in the Indian Ocean region.

The wines and spirits wholesale and retail company founded in 2008 sells to numerous outlets across the main island of Mahe.

A large percentage of their sales go to hotel establishments.

โ€œUp to 60 percent of our orders are wholesale for many different hotels. This suggests the high consumption is not necessarily in residents but rather for tourism and for events,โ€ Saldanha told SNA.

Drinking champagne is a must in several events organised by tourism establishment.

These include the โ€œChampagne Hourโ€ by Kempinski Seychelles Resort, โ€œChampagne a la Villaโ€ at the Banyan Tree and the use of champagne in various spa treatments at the Hilton Labriz on Silhouette Island.

Bernard Hoareau, the wholesale manager of the Cave a Vin outlet said that while residents prefer other wines and spirits for retail purchase in their stores, champagne sales are more popular for events and special occasions.

The Comite Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) was established in 1941 as a co-operative organisation joining both growers and traders with regulatory powers supported by the French Government.

On the ranking for the total volumes of imported bottles of champagne for the African continent, South Africa is first with 1,061,612 bottles imported in 2018, followed by Nigeria — 582,243 — and third Ivory Coast — 303,250.

On the global ranking, the United Kingdom tops the list with 26,762,068 followed by the United States with 23,714,793.

About the author

Avatar of Alain St.Ange

Alain St.Ange

Alain St Ange has been working in the tourism business since 2009. He was appointed as the Director of Marketing for Seychelles by President and Minister of Tourism James Michel.

He was appointed as the Director of Marketing for Seychelles by President and Minister of Tourism James Michel. After one year of

After one year of service, he was promoted to the position of CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board.

In 2012 the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands regional Organization was formed and St Ange was appointed as the first president of the organization.

In a 2012 cabinet re-shuffle, St Ange was appointed as Minister of Tourism and Culture which he resigned on 28 December 2016 in order to pursue a candidacy as Secretary General of the World Tourism Organisation.

At the UNWTO General Assembly in Chengdu in China, a person who was being sought after for the โ€œSpeakers Circuitโ€ for tourism and sustainable development was Alain St.Ange.

St.Ange is the former Seychelles Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine who left office in December last year to run for the position of Secretary General of the UNWTO. When his candidature or document of endorsement was withdrawn by his country just a day before the elections in Madrid, Alain St.Ange showed his greatness as a speaker when he addressed the UNWTO gathering with grace, passion, and style.

His moving speech was recorded as the one on the best marking speeches at this UN international body.

African countries often remember his Uganda address for the East Africa Tourism Platform when he was a guest of honor.

As former Tourism Minister, St.Ange was a regular and popular speaker and was often seen addressing forums and conferences on behalf of his country. His ability to speak โ€˜off the cuffโ€™ was always seen as a rare ability. He often said he speaks from the heart.

In Seychelles he is remembered for a marking address at the official opening of the islandโ€™s Carnaval International de Victoria when he reiterated the words of John Lennon famous songโ€ฆ โ€ you may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one. One day you will all join us and the world will be better as oneโ€. The world press contingent gathered in Seychelles on the day ran with the words by St.Ange which made headlines everywhere.

St.Ange delivered the keynote address for the โ€œTourism & Business Conference in Canadaโ€

Seychelles is a good example for sustainable tourism. This is therefore not surprising to see Alain St.Ange being sought after as a speaker on the international circuit.

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