Welcome to the 1st Edition of our Tourism News for 2013.

We must all rejoice at the visitor arrival figures for the year 2012. Yes we all rallied as an industry, as a people and as a country and we can say that we have delivered for Seychelles. The success in visitor arrival numbers has reopened the debate about the yield from tourism. This has been an ongoing point of concern and we have heard the forceful explanations by Alain St.Ange, the Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture making clear that the hotel rates are pitched by the private sector and that this remains a matter of competition, not amongst hotels in Seychelles, but with hotels of the region.

This is a fact and we accept that we pitch our rates based on market forces and on what the immediate competition is doing. When Mauritius practices price dumping because of their current over supply of beds vis a vis airlines serving Mauritius, we feel the pressure and have all had to readjust our own rates because of the pressure exerted by the Tour Operators programming Seychelles. Supply and demand remains key to yield, and Seychelles is still walking at the slowest pace in helping increase the arrival numbers to help hotels increase their rates and in so doing earn a better yield for themselves and for the country. 

Marketing and strategizing about new drives is one thing, but are we not too slow moving to provide what the market is saying they want? A direct nonstop flight to Europe is needed, and the authorities all know this, but are still not jumping with joy when a savior comes our way. Where are we with the Turkish Airline interest to nonstop fly from Europe to Seychelles? Discussions at the Seychelles Economic Forum Turkey had indicated that this excellent airline wanted seven flights a week to Seychelles. We need to know what has happened to their request and interest. 

Too often we hear of bilateral signed with countries where we cannot see any direct benefits, but with Turkey we are close to a year and we still have not heard a declaration.

We are soon to see Air Seychelles start their operation to Hong Kong. A good decision for the airline, but is it what the Seychelles Tourism Industry needs at this point in time? Air Mauritius is doing direct Shanghai and also a second direct Beijing Mauritius flight. They are going for the Chinese market, when we go for the Hong Kong market, and ours via Abu Dhabi. Who will bear the cost of marketing the Air Seychelles flights to Hong Kong via Abu Dhabi?

My personal comment for the Ministers of Air Transport and of Tourism is that Air Seychelles is only 60% Seychellois, our country's economy is 100% Seychellois. We can only hope that this will guide decisions.

The annual Marketing Meeting was another success with a joint approach between the private sector and the Tourism Board. The absence of the Top Heads of the Air Seychelles Team was noticeable by all.

The time has arrived for us as an Association to be represented on the Planning Authority. We are making that request to save our industry and Seychelles. We have lost all planning foresight and today our continued development is hurting the look of our country and the environment we are saying we are protecting. A few weeks ago big equipment was excavating in the channel between Cerf Island and Ile Cachee. This is a Marine Park we are told, but after jetties we now see digging with heavy earth moving equipment. A proliferation of containers, visible for all to see, is getting more evident day by day. Implementation of regulations by Planning Authority gives them a zero score…

The setting up of a more buoyant Marketing Fund for the tourism industry is welcomed. It is a new tax, but one where we are all paying to market our country. We hope more businesses will be drafted to pay into that important fund. We need to see more activities in Europe with that fund as that traditional market is the market we know, and the market that knows us. 

The annual carnival is upon us! We wish for another successful edition. We appeal for us to also have the chance to meet the large number of press landing here for the carnival. 

Louis D'Offay
Chairman of the Seychelles Hospitality &Tourism Association