Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture who was leading an important delegation to the 20th General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) did his country proud when the Seychelles candidature was successful at the Commission for Africa (CAF) of the UNWTO for a full seat on the Executive Council.
Other Countries who came in on the Executive Council with the Seychelles are Tunisia, Angola and South Africa. “It is good for Seychelles to take its rightful place on the World Tourism Body of the Community of Nations. This helps our islands to be heard and to be seen as a relevant tourism destination. Members of our delegation have been working hard in meetings with other organisations such as SADC, RETOSA and the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and also with other Member States. Because we worked as a Team, and because we came as a Team instead of just a Minister we managed to do Seychelles proud. Our Seychelles delegation have also worked long hours with their Zambian counterpart to finalise all arrangements for an MOU to be signed between Zambia and Seychelles during the 20th General Assembly of the UNWTO when the eyes of the world tourism was on Africa ” Minister Alain St.Ange said.
Members of his delegation included Anne Lafortune, the PS for Tourism, Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Tourism Board, David Germain, the Seychelles Tourism Board’s Director for Africa and the Americas based in Cape Town South Africa and Jenifer Sinon the Board’s Director for Administration and HR. Accompanying the Seychelles Delegation to the 20th General Assembly was Jimmy Butt, the Seychelles Tourism Ambassador in Zambia and also Elsia Grandcourt, the outgoing CEO of the island’s Tourism Board whose new posting as the UNWTO’s Director for Africa was to be announced at the General Assembly itself.
“We knew that someone from our islands was going to be named as the Director for Africa for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and it was important to have the person with us as part of our team. Elsia Grandcourt has done Seychelles proud, and everyone in our islands who have Seychelles at heart will be rejoicing that a Seychelloise from the whole World of Tourism has been singled out to take up such an important position in the World’s Tourism Umbrella Body” the Seychelles Minister said in Zambia.
“We are of course happy to now have a seat on the Executive Council of the UNWTO. This United Nations Tourism Body remains the most important grouping for the tourism industry. Our presence will help us to get our region and Africa more in focus when decisions on or about tourism is being made” Minister St.Ange of the Seychelles said.
