Saint Ange Tourism Report – 23rd July 2018

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – July 24, 2018 (travelindex.com) – I was last week honoured to have been chosen to be a panellist for the Routes Africa 2018. It was a great event and a golden opportunity to renew contacts and make new friends. Tourism is very much a people’s industry which is why people of the industry have to meet or just simply must meet. Two important Tourism and Aviation Magazines of Africa (Voyages Afriq and Aviation & Allied Business Journal) were present and the chance to meet with them in Ghana was so appreciated.

Visibility to maintain relevance

Often tourism businesses or hotel establishments raise their occupancy level or discuss how busy or not busy they have been. Tourism Boards have the responsibility to market the destination and to keep the visibility of their destination to ensure it is relevant, but it remains the responsibility of individual businesses to get ‘ahead of the pack’ to get their fair share of arriving visitors. No one can expect to eat a mango when the tree is being given a good shake unless they move to collect them as they fall or to spend to buy them from traders. The same analysis can be made using the picking up of mackerel fish from the beach after the fishermen have brought it a catch from a net. Be on the beach and get your mackerel or buy one from the market, but sitting at home and waiting will not, and just cannot bring the fish to your table.

Operating Cost and the slide of the Seychelles Rupee against the US Dollar

Rising operational cost still remains a troubling challenge for the tourism industry in Seychelles. Today the cost is being further exasperated by the value of the US Dollar that is gaining its way against the Seychelles Rupee. Cost of electricity is today considered to be too expensive and this will continue to hurt the islands and their businesses. Understanding the trade will strengthen the economy and increase the needed buoyancy to enable the private sector trade to keep the Seychelles Flag flying. The businesses are key to economic survival, and bleeding them only spells trouble, curtails employment and stifles growth of the commercial sector.

Vertical Integration policy?

The proposal by the Seychelles Government to box in the private sector trade has brought about a number of queries on where will it stop. Seychelles must legislate against any form of monopoly in any sector. Monopoly is detrimental to cost reduction, and competition needs to be encouraged and banks enticed to assist to help competition to be established.