UNWTO General Assembly: Seychelles delegation summarized participation

The Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture and his delegation have returned to their mid-ocean tropical island satisfied with their participation at the 20th UNWTO General Assembly held last week

The Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture and his delegation have returned to their mid-ocean tropical island satisfied with their participation at the 20th UNWTO General Assembly held last week in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Seychelles Minister, Mr. Alain St.Ange, who was accompanied on this working visit to the UNWTO General Assembly meeting by his PS for Tourism Anne Lafortune, the CEO of the Tourism Board Sherin Naiken, the island’s Tourism Board Director for Africa and the Americas David Germain, and Jenifer Sinon the Tourism Board’s Director for Administration, was joined at the Zambia and Zimbabwe meeting by Jimmy Butt, the Seychelles Tourism Ambassador who is based in Lusaka, Zambia.

“The Seychelles presence at the 20th UNWTO General Assembly was seen as not only successful, but also a big step forward for Seychelles and for Africa. UNWTO, through its General Assembly Meeting, brought the focus in the world of tourism on Africa. We need to now use this exposure as a stepping board for the continent as a whole to reposition its tourism industry. For Seychelles, our election to the Executive Council of the UNWTO, will inevitably increase our visibility and ensure we remain relevant in the world of tourism. It is also our opportunity to work inside the UNWTO to see more focus on Africa and its islands,” said the Seychelles Minister St.Ange.

Seychelles used that General Assembly meeting to sit at the SADC Tourism Ministers Meeting, to sign an MOU with Zambia, to discuss with Tourism Ministers from the Caribbean between the CTO (Caribbean Tourism Organization) and the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Regional Organization as both groups are principally Small Island States, to pursue discussions with the South African Minister for Tourism for a meeting with the S.A. Minister responsible for Culture, to instigate a high-level tourism meeting in Seychelles which will be led by the Zambian Vice President, and to open cooperation with Ministers from Lesotho, Congo, among many others.

“The outgoing CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Elsia Grandcourt, also formed part our delegation to the Zambia and Zimbabwe meeting. We were privy to the information that her appointment as the new UNWTO Director for Africa was going to be made at this 20th General Assembly meeting, and it was for us not only an honor for our country, but also the opportunity to be alongside her when she takes over her new responsibilities. We were proud as Seychellois when Elsia Grandcourt was called to the stage to take up her position as the UNWTO new Director for Africa,” Minister St.Ange said.

The Seychelles Minister assured Dr. Taleb Rifai, the UNWTO Secretary General, of Seychellesโ€™ commitment to the responsibilities that comes with holding a seat on the UNWTO Executive Council.

PHOTO: Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the UNWTO; Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture; and Elsia Grandcourt, the Seychelles born and bred UNWTO Director for Africa.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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