Seychelles private sector tourism convenes for annual meeting

The Seychelles private sector tourism is united and works under the association called the “Seychelles Hospitality & Tourism Association.” Last week, the association met for its Annual General Meeting (AGM) where Louis D’Offay, the President of the association, presented his report and tabled a list of points for consideration. Daniella Payet-Allis and Alan Mason, the association’s Secretary and Treasurer, also presented their reports to this important annual gathering.

Louis D’Offay, the long-time popular President of the Seychelles Tourism Indistry’s Association, started his address by saying that he intended to break with tradition and not dwell on the achievemnents of the industry, but he wanted to instead table the challenges the industry was facing. Louis D’Offay, the Owner and General Manager of his very own renowned L’Archipel Hotel on the Island of Praslin, said that the successes of the country Tourism Board can be attributed to the support being given by a united trade. As he thanked and congratulated Alain St.Ange, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, for his hard work and personal sacrifices, he said that the Tourism Board had succeded with the visitor arrival numbers, but he said that, again, the country had more difficult challenges, and unity was needed to tackle these challenges.

The President of the industry’s association told his gathered members that their association had lost in their fight for a freeze or a delay in the VAT introduction, which he said would increase costs again on the private sector, and this would leave less funds for the private sector to support the Tourism Board’s sales and marketing initiatives. Different other pertinent points facing the industry were also tabled and discussed by the members at that general meeting.

The Secretary of the Association, Daniella Payet-Allis, spoke of the work being done by the association and sought the AGM’s support to seek a clear tourism roadmap from the government. Daniella Payet-Allis also reminded all members that Louis D’Offay, their popular and devoted President, had now entered the final term of his mandate and that the industry’s members needed to start thinking of who had the needed time and commitment to lead the industry’s association from next year.

Alain Mason on his part presented the association’s accounts and said that it was time for the association to start looking at the construction of their own office block with meeting and training rooms. Alan Mason said that the association was today sitting on a fair amount of money and proposed the idea for the construction of an office block.

Following the AGM, the industry’s members joined together for an enjoyable social evening with friends of the industry at Le Meridien Barbarons Hotel.

PHOTO: Louis D’Offay, President of the Tourism Industry’s Association & some of the hotel general managers at the annual general meeting