Students of primary and secondary schools around Mahé, Praslin and La Digue can now be part and parcel of the booming tourism industry as the Ministry for Tourism and its partner the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association launch the Tourism Clubs for Seychellois students.
The initiative launched on Friday March 22, 2019 at the AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort and Spa on Mahé is the result of a long preparation germinating from discussions held during the Tourism Festival organized by the Tourism Department last year.
The aim of the project is to educate students about the tourism industry and trigger their interest for a career in hospitality and tourism.
The launch was conducted by the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Mr. Didier Dogley and Mrs. Jeanne Simeon, Minister for Education and Human Resource Development.
The ceremony also saw the presence of Mrs. Anne Lafortune, Principal Secretary for Tourism, Principal Secretary for Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Odile de Commarmond, and Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association Chairperson, Mrs. Sybille Cardon alongside Martin Kennedy.
In his opening statements, Martin Kennedy who presided the event’s proceedings mentioned that all the respective ministries, stakeholders and educators equally have a role in helping the young Seychellois to imagine themselves as a major successful partner in the tourism industry.
Speaking at the launch the Minister for Education and Human Resource Development, Mrs. Jeanne Simeon commended the stakeholders of the Tourism sector for their active commitment in providing an extra-curricular activity that would not only benefit the development of students but also impact on their life choices.
“As a country we should not underestimate the importance of the Tourism Industry as the major pillar of our economy and it is of utmost importance that this is transmitted to our children from primary. Tourism should be seen as a sector that helps builds our country’s brand and value,” said Minister Simeon.
Minister Dogley supported the statement as he addressed the gathering emphasizing that it is his pride that Seychellois manage more than 60 percent of the small hotel establishments.
“I thank all the partners, especially ministry for Education and Human Resource Development, the private sector and club coordinators as we all work towards building the next generation of hoteliers and educating them about the importance of keeping our local tourism industry’s standard high in order to maintain our reputation as a destination,” said Minister Dogley.
Mrs. Sybille Cardon, also present, expressed her satisfaction to see the project concretize. She mentioned that with the implementation of the tourism clubs, the industry is hoping to see a very positive response.
With the tag line “We are Tourism,” the call for our responsibility as Seychellois is once again called upon to raise the profile of our Destination and the standard of our Tourism industry.
The event concluded with presentations made from students from Mont-Fleuri Primary School and Beau-Vallon Secondary School.