BRAVO ST. ANGE- Except The Master Plan Was Never Adopted!
Breaking Travel News: Lets start with ITB in Berlin; what was the key message you were putting out to visitors to this, the largest travel and tourism show in the world?
Alain St. Ange: Well, if I can start by saying that ITB 2014 was a total success for Seychelles.
A total success because we went there knowing full well that we were growing in double digit figures from Germany.
So we needed to consolidate our approach for the German market and also look at our partners coming out of Europe as itself, to see why we were not performing as good in some areas and what we could do to increase that growth.
So the message was Seychelles is there, Seychelles remains serious, Seychelles remains a tour operator destination and Seychelles today is accessible as never before.
BTN: A few things to talk about, including you new tourism master plan, but before that let us reflect back on last year in terms of visitor arrivals to the Seychelles. What sort of growth did you get?
ASA: We got an 11 per cent growth last year.
I often tell people we are not in the numbers game. We do not look for numbers. This is why we do not have charters to Seychelles.
We are looking at progressive growth but a growth that helps the economy of a country.
Seychelles depends on tourism. It remains the pillar of our economy.
So we need to ensure that our growth is well calculated and that we pan it out that we get growth from every destination.
We are just being intelligent in our approach.
If there was an economic difficulty in one region, we want to be able to survive it because without tourism, our people will suffer.
BTN: So 11 per cent growth last year, you say, across the different countries but was there any particular region which you had a higher growth than others?
ASA: Totally. Germany was one, which is why we went to ITB in full force this year.
Germany grew extremely well. China obviously, which is taking a leap forward I would have never expected.
Russia, the Middle East, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi showing increased numbers that are definitely worth it for us, and then Africa.
BTN: I want to ask you about the Middle East in terms of carriers from that region into the Seychelles. This has been enhanced with Etihad, the Abu Dhabi based carrier, taking a 45 per cent share in your national airline. What has been the impact of that?
ASA: Well, I think firstly they solidified Air Seychelles.
They made Air Seychelles an airline, not just a carrier that we had, but today a proper airline that declares a dividend and makes profit.
But more so, being in partnership, it opened up the Seychelles and the roots of Seychelles to the world.
Seychelles now appears - I was in Germany’s Berlin and you could see buses passing with Seychelles in there as a partner of Etihad.
So the name Seychelles is today a bit everywhere and I am sure that it has helped us to become more visible because of the might of Etihad.
It has helped us to become – when you become visible, you become relevant.
Today we are more relevant than before and it has positioned us as a destination of choice.
So today you can pull from the whole of Germany into Abu Dhabi and this in itself is an asset that we have.
BTN: Okay. Well, moving from the perspective of ITB in Berlin to the new tourism master plan, what are the key elements of that?
ASA: I think the tourism master plan was planning to ensure that Seychelles tourism is consolidated. We know it is a pillar of the economy.
We know it is vital for us and we are not allowed to make mistakes.
So we had to use the master plan that was grown from the bottom up.
That took the points of view of people involved in the economy but also the laymen who depend in way or another on fishing or gardening or artisans so that they also benefit from it.
We have done this and we are happy with the plan.
BTN: That seems like a unique approach as you say starting from the bottom up.
ASA: That was the instruction that the President of the Republic gave us - not to sit in the office of Seychelles and find something that you want.
Get out there and get the people.
But we know we are going to have to adapt it in the next two years with the points of today and now that I have the office of culture as well, we are using culture a lot in our base of marketing, we now need to focus how we can use culture better.
BTN: We will finish off with your growth of tourism figures, last year you had seven percent growth, so what are you predicting for 2014?
ASA: Well, this year we will have five percent up over last year and I believe sincerely that we will beat it.
All indications are quite clear.
We are now in our six percent of overlap last year already and the indications are, even though the times are different, our main markets are suffering economically but diversification that we put into place.
Diversification of markets is showing that we did the right thing at the right time and not only giving glossy brochures out but plain people, putting people who speak with their heart and with their feelings is working for Seychelles.
http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/focus/article/breaking-travel-news-interview-alain-st.-ange-minister-for-tourism-republic/
http://seychellesrealitytoday.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/bravo-st-ange-except-master-plan-was.html#comment-form
ReplyDeleteDear Minister Alain St. Ange:
You are eloquently covering up the failures of Tourism, and not being candid with the journalist.
Here is some examples: (1) you say our Master Plan is the key to our success. Yet it has never been implemented; (2). If you are relying on your invisible master plan, was it part of the Master Plan to sell off 49% stake in Air Seychelles to Etihad, so the national carrier, would be owned by UAE; (3) was it part of the Invincible Master Plan that Air Seychelles will turn a profit, and Seychelles International Airport would then fall apart, and the ground services will come to a stop; (4) while the German market is indeed up and has always been, why does Air Seychelles not fly directly to Frankfurt, a request the Tourism Trade has been asking since 2008; (5) while Tourism Arrivals is indeed up by 11%, why is it that revenues are not up by 11%; GDP is up by only 3% according to the best figures;(6) while you salivate over the successful German market, why is it that you licensed 400 substandard guests houses, some of which are behind carpenter shops, mechanics shop, bakery, and public housing estate. Will this keep the numbers increasing according to you Master Plan, that you never implemented?
Michel and pp are at it again election is coming Korea will exploit oil in Seychelles.
ReplyDeleteOil tir dan zot fes ban pinochio.
haha be sa enn katsos pou dir LOL!
DeletetHE IES OF TRYING TO PUT THE BLAME on outside bodies as causes of our Tourism indsutry difficulty is a norm in the pp.St Ange is still talking about economic difficulty in our main market /EUROPE9well.all indicators,experts agree that EUROEP is out of the fiancail criisis.NB also that Maldivies arrival quota and increased arrival are not from Aisa,S.Maerica ro Afirca but the same EUROEPAN st ange wants to make us bleive they have economic difficulty thus cnanot afoord to come and visit our shores.
ReplyDeleteThe real problem St NAge is cause by the lack of DIRECT FLIGHTS,bad promotion,the continue intimadation and lies of piracy preaching by Michel in order to find an excuse to allow CHinese Naval ships in our waters.etc----
We have alreada given ideas on what need to be done to increase arrival and boost our tourism industry--from direct flight.developing OFF SEASON TOURISM (FOR OUR good season in what is how our low season),developing our Outter island,domestic tourism,more day-night actvities/attractions.etc......
No master plan,for anything--none for VANILLA,as all the others isues St Ange made allusion to.A paln would have at least help you in your orientation St Ange ,when you do not have a plan is you sail without clear destination as you are demonstrating .
WHy does Maldives,Kenya,Mauritius,Tanzania scceeding St Ange and not Seychelles?It is all in your strategy which is a strategy without plan,thus bound for fialures.
Jeanne D'Arc
No Master Plan--so no move becuase there is no plan to follow.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me,Dr St Ange knows waht should be done but donot how to do it.
Am ASTER PLAN.St NAge,Here is an idea of how a masterpaln could entail St Ange.THREE MAIN BOJECTIVES
1)To porvde a comprehensive planning framework for the development of the leading Seychelles 'industry,
2)To elaborate a clear vision of the future direction.shape and compostion of the industry that can serve to guide the actions of the stakeholders in the industry to a common goal and purpose;
3)To detailed the timing and sequencing on the masterplan,or major programmes,roles and responisbilities of key players,Institutional arrangements,and resources requirements fro bringing the vision to fruition.etc..etc..etc
Why a Masterplan is crucial?Unlike other industries,(the developemnt can mainly be left to market forces,Tourism developemnt has to be planned beucase it is a composite of severa servicel providers.The service providers are generally in the private sector,the participation of different private and public sectors make tourism a complex phenomen requiring astrong coorporation and coordination for it to be developed to the desired level.
Jeanne D'Arc
2.41
ReplyDeleteKorean is coming to drill Michel's head.it is beleived by experts that it is the main potential well.Awaiting for him to leave office in order to kick start with the drilling.Billions of barels are expected as from 2015 before election.Faure would soon announce it publicly in order to sell us and fool us before election.And if there is none,Khalfia is ready to secretly aly a pipe line from UAE to somewhere on our Outter island to make the miracle and then PP can stay on power forever.
Adam making photo shot with UHURU KENYATTA wanted by ICC for inciting voilence during Kenyan last election.Like St Ange ,partilepep members cannot get away from their criminal friends.
ReplyDeleteNot only phtoshooting.but probably smoking GRASS.for UHURU is publicly known in Kennya and by all KENYAN for being a drug addict.He is also Kenyan's richest man,money his father JUMO KENYATTA robbed from State^s coffer.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that Dr St Ange is bosses by two things---creating Brand,and Carnival.He has not been able to concoct a masterplan for the >VINALLA BRAND ,there he is talking about African BRAND.
ReplyDeleteBranding is importatn,becuase it gives deffertaiation.However,Creating a BRAND St Ange goes beyond catchy Slogan;destination brand is about powerful images,and goes beyond tourism alone.Branding is also about a Nation's politics,economy,securtiy and others.
Branind is not about stting down and thin king about slogans.You must consider the strength,and weaknesses of a brand and how you can achieve every part of it.Think also about consistency.Consistency for changing a brand or image is a bad thing to do.
One can sovle brand issues by advertising,Branding is about creating and owing an image,and consistently building that image as the years go by.You cannot change every year,St Ange,becuase then youare offering a different image.
One should also narrow the targeted market as much as possible.Donot try to be a BRAND for ALL PEOPLE or NATIONS:the narrow TINA>TION.Amongst the best known are Seychelles. Maldives,Marutitus,KEnya,Tazania,and S African.Exception,in WEST AFRICA is BOTSAWANA.tHESE COUNTIRES HAVE decades of expereicne in the ifeld,a developed infrasturctes in regards to tourism,Know -How etc...etcc We cannot send VISITORS to SUDAN ,SOMALI into fialed STAES to just put at risk VISOTRS^life in danger.
Jeanne D`^ARC
ST ANGE AND HIS FAMILY JOINT THE COUP IN 1977 THIS BLOODY WAR THATS STILL RUNING ON IN SEYCHELLES NOW.WHEN THEY FAIL THEY RUN TO ANOTHER SIDE..HIS A FOOL,HE THINK THATS WE PEOPLE OF SEYCHELLES WE ARE A FOOL.AND HE AWARE OF ALL THIS CRIME AND PART TAKER IN THIS GAME
ReplyDeleteSt Ange as other SNP members are all collaborators of PP.St Ange for instance ,could say to Michel "I give my demission becuase i donot agree with the Huamn rights voilation you committed on our people--but know he won't not for he is part of the gang).The agreememnt between RAm and PP is that now and then a SNP member is given position as minister(the case of St Ange)or other importtant postions as part of the deal .Fro instance,the assisitance of GLENNY SAVY is a SNP like St Ange.PIERRE an SNP sent by RAM to beplay fake OPPOSTION leader,and in order to asure himself a pension for life that RAM was the only benefitor in the SNP.PIERRE wanted his also.for Go be Fake Oppostion leader than you would get your astronomic pension for life for raping democracy ,Human rights and enslaving thr mass.
ReplyDeleteJeanne D?Arc
Dr St Ange is going to throw almost 6 milli0ons rupee in the bin to organized CARNIVAl that ahve no fianancial,economical,benfit for the country thus the TORUAIM industry.
ReplyDeleteA CARNIVAL in essence should represent a country's culture,tradition,Instead of holding CARVIANL that represent out culture and tradtion becuase that what TOurists who cmoe here want to see and learn (about our country,people,culture,tradtion)St Ange waste Tax payers money to hold fake CLELBRATIONS like CHINES/INDIAN Celelbration day--to promote CHinese and Indain interest,but that have nothing cultural and tradtional to do with us.Fi toursits want to learn about CHINES/INDIAN culture and tradition(religious proccesioon)they should go in those respected countires as tourists but not in Seychelles.Seychelles as soveriegn country should not be celbrating culture of countires that have nothing to do with us.In other words,St Ange you cannot steal cutlral,traditional activities of other countires and artifical try to make it ours.We have our won cultural and tradtional pratices.(We hve alomost 350 years of history St Ange and we proud of our history and where our ancestors came from ,so do not rape our culture and tradition PP).It seems if wwe would let St Ange do what he wants,he would probably hold a CARNIVAL every months.except when he is not busy doing what he likes second best namely preaching about all kinds of BRANDS--VANILLA;AFRICAN;soon probably ARB BRAD;Amybe even TALIBAN BRAND).
Carnival could be benficial to the country is it advertise,promote our country's image thus by showing our cultre,tradition not that of thia,Brazilain,etc these are other culture and tradtions St Ange not ours dog.
A CREOLE CARNIVAl showing our colonial costums etc...that tells a story of our peopl and that of a CHILDREN CARNIVAl is enough-ALl those fake celebrations disguise as CHINES/INDAIN celebration day must be stopped ,WE are not Indai nor chinese PP.Indian and CHinese Celebration must be done in India and China.
RIO CARNIVAl is popular and a success not becuase BRAZILAIN stolen other culture and tradtion to pretend they are theirs but becuase they promote their own Culture and tradition.Dito ,to Jamaica,Dominican rupublic and other successful and KNown Carnivals.
Sto pwasting tax payers0 mone to pormote Chinese and Indan celebration days--we simply neither Indain nor Chinese or else.We have our own identity St Ange/Pp.
Jeanne D'Arc