Seychelles Hospitality & Tourism Association generating partnerships with Korean market

The Seychelles Hospitality & Tourism Association (SHTA) is engaging in a partnership with the Korean market that will promote reciprocal internships in the hotel industry between Seychelles and Korea.

The Seychelles Hospitality & Tourism Association (SHTA) is engaging in a partnership with the Korean market that will promote reciprocal internships in the hotel industry between Seychelles and Korea. The Seychelles Tourist Office in Korea is spearheading the activity, in an effort to assist Seychelles in improving its carrying capacity to welcome more Korean visitors to its shores.

In a meeting held at the Seychelles Tourism Board on Wednesday, August 7, SHTA Chairman John Stravens and Vice Chairperson Daniella Payet-Alis met with the Seychelles Consul in Korea, Dong Chang Jeong, and Julie Kim, Regional Manager of the Seychelles Tourist Office in Korea, to discuss the partnership.
This will pave the way for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Korean Hospitality Industry Institute and the SHTA.

The institute will be sponsoring, in conjunction with the SHTA a series of internships from both sides to enhance the service standards and diversity of skills & knowhow of local Seychellois partners. The program will avail the partnering Seychelles tourism establishments with bilingual (Korean and English) staff and trained chefs for western and Korean cuisine. This institute provides training to university or college graduates furthering a career in the hospitality industry.

Seychellois students who are willing to conduct internships in Korea can also be linked to partner hotels and companies in Korea.

The SHTA will urge hoteliers to advertise their vacancies so that Korean interns can be seconded for internships. The internships will last six months, with the possibility of employment if the Seychelles hoteliers see the need. These internships will be at different levels from cooks, guest relations, to the management level.

Having a Korean presence in the hotels will eventually translate into more Korean travelers to Seychelles, as they will feel more comfortable speaking their own language. It will add value to the participating hotelsโ€™ workforce and further open up the growing Korean tourist market. The reciprocal program for Seychellois hospitality students to conduct internships in Korea will allow them to better understand the countryโ€™s culture and customs as well as the language, while also experiencing life in a large city.

The Korean tourism outbound market is growing at a rapid rate. Over 14 million passengers travel overseas yearly. The market to Seychelles has known a strong growth over the last few years, with the proactive efforts of the STO office in Korea. Figures reached 1,000 passengers last year and are forecasted to double this year. Eighty percent of the visitors are honeymooners and prefer holidaying in 4- to 5-star hotels.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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