Up Yours Ste Ange!
Alain St.Ange, the
Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture returned home on
Saturday saying that he was satisfied that the UNWTO Commission For
Africa (CAF) Ministerial Meeting had been a success.
It was the Zimbabwe Minister Walter Mzembi, as the Chairman for the Commission For Africa of the UNWTO who chaired the Angola meeting attended by some twenty Ministers of Tourism from Africa and by as many Tourism Principal Secretaries and CEO of Tourism Offices. Mr Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the UNWTO and Elsia Grandcourt, the Director for Africa at the UNWTO were also present in Angola for the 56th Session of the Commission For Africa (CAF) Ministerial Meeting.
"Many important points were table and discussed which showed the desire of Africa to work with Africa" Minister St.Ange of the Seychelles said.
Member States present at the Commission For Africa (CAF) Ministerial Meeting were all troubled by a proposed tax on air travel in Africa and a further tax on Hotel Stays. Ministers of Tourism present were surprised that they had not been consulted on these proposed tourism related tax saying that it would kill the goose that lays the golden egg. "We have all been lobbying for the UK to scrap their Carbon Tax for long haul travel saying that it was a disincentive for holiday traffic to Africa, and now we are seeing the African Union (AU) proposing just another tourism tax. It is hypocritical and it will hurt the tourism industry of Africa" Ministers present said.
The African Union (AU) proposal was discussed by Finance Minister of Africa, and the matter is set to be tabled at the Heads of State Meeting later this year.
Minister St.Ange said that he has discussed the matter with Minister Pierre Laporte, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Finance and Investment and can say that Seychelles has already recorded its concern on this new tourism tax for Africa.
It was at the Angola 56th Commission For Africa (CAF) Ministerial meeting that Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the UNWTO (Unite Nations World Tourism Organisation) and Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture signed the Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of Boubacar Djibo, the Director Air Transport Bureau for the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to pave the way for Seychelles to host the Historic October Ministerial Meeting where Tourism and Transport Ministers will be sitting together for the first time for a meeting. This October Meeting in Seychelles is being jointly organised by the UNWTO and the ICAO.
It was also at the same Angola Ministerial Meeting the Seychelles won the bid to host the 57th Commission for Africa (CAF) Ministerial Meeting in April 2015. This meeting will coincide with the 2015 edition of the annual Carnaval International de Victoria, the event that appears on the calendar of events of the Vanilla Islands that is staged in the Seychelles.
http://www.eturbonews.com/45388/seychelles-concerned-about-proposed-african-union-hotel-and-airl
It was the Zimbabwe Minister Walter Mzembi, as the Chairman for the Commission For Africa of the UNWTO who chaired the Angola meeting attended by some twenty Ministers of Tourism from Africa and by as many Tourism Principal Secretaries and CEO of Tourism Offices. Mr Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the UNWTO and Elsia Grandcourt, the Director for Africa at the UNWTO were also present in Angola for the 56th Session of the Commission For Africa (CAF) Ministerial Meeting.
"Many important points were table and discussed which showed the desire of Africa to work with Africa" Minister St.Ange of the Seychelles said.
Member States present at the Commission For Africa (CAF) Ministerial Meeting were all troubled by a proposed tax on air travel in Africa and a further tax on Hotel Stays. Ministers of Tourism present were surprised that they had not been consulted on these proposed tourism related tax saying that it would kill the goose that lays the golden egg. "We have all been lobbying for the UK to scrap their Carbon Tax for long haul travel saying that it was a disincentive for holiday traffic to Africa, and now we are seeing the African Union (AU) proposing just another tourism tax. It is hypocritical and it will hurt the tourism industry of Africa" Ministers present said.
The African Union (AU) proposal was discussed by Finance Minister of Africa, and the matter is set to be tabled at the Heads of State Meeting later this year.
Minister St.Ange said that he has discussed the matter with Minister Pierre Laporte, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Finance and Investment and can say that Seychelles has already recorded its concern on this new tourism tax for Africa.
It was at the Angola 56th Commission For Africa (CAF) Ministerial meeting that Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the UNWTO (Unite Nations World Tourism Organisation) and Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture signed the Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of Boubacar Djibo, the Director Air Transport Bureau for the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to pave the way for Seychelles to host the Historic October Ministerial Meeting where Tourism and Transport Ministers will be sitting together for the first time for a meeting. This October Meeting in Seychelles is being jointly organised by the UNWTO and the ICAO.
It was also at the same Angola Ministerial Meeting the Seychelles won the bid to host the 57th Commission for Africa (CAF) Ministerial Meeting in April 2015. This meeting will coincide with the 2015 edition of the annual Carnaval International de Victoria, the event that appears on the calendar of events of the Vanilla Islands that is staged in the Seychelles.
http://www.eturbonews.com/45388/seychelles-concerned-about-proposed-african-union-hotel-and-airl
Comments
Post a Comment