Today Wednesday September 27 is World Tourism Day and Seychelles joins the rest of the world to commemorate this day, which aims to raise awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.

Sustainable Tourism – A Tool for Development is the theme chosen by the UNWTO this year.

To mark the occasion the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine has sent the below message:

We must all ensure and take ownership of sustainable tourism

As Tourism Day comes around once again, it gives us the opportunity to reflect on this industry that has become not only the economic mainstay of our nation but also the backbone of the global economy.

It is in this global context that we must continue to celebrate our tourism, echoing the 2017 UNWTO theme which is “Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development” because if sustainable tourism is going to part of our culture, then it must become so, not just locally, but internationally.

Sustainable tourism is a term that is much bandied about these days and what, in essence it implies is that we must conduct ourselves and our businesses in such a way that will allow us to continue to do in the future what we do today…only in an ever better and more efficient, eco-friendly way.

To do otherwise, will be to saw through the branch upon which we are seated and deplete our tourism capital so that eventually nobody will wish to come and visit our islands. You may believe that is an exaggeration but let me hasten to assure you that this is a disaster waiting in the wings that has already happened to certain regions of the world.

Sustainable tourism is indeed a tool for development because it recognizes, protects and nurtures the Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) of our country, which are those attributes that most attract visitors to our shores: our pristine, clean environment; our social and political harmony, and our culture which is what the modern traveller increasingly hopes to discover when on holiday.

These are chief among Seychelles’ blessings and behaving sustainably will allow them to continue to be the foundation of the extraordinary Seychelles experience. Sustainable tourism is not only the responsibility of governments…it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to ensure and to take ownership of. To succeed, it must become our way of life and when we celebrate World Tourism Day together, across the planet, we do so in recognition of the fact that we must all do this together!

Here, at home, 2017 is shaping up into another year where tourism records will again be broken. Last year, we smashed the 300,000 visitor ceiling and God willing, this year will see a substantial increase in our visitor numbers which, even now, are on the rise.

And yet, while we rejoice in our good fortune, it is important to keep a sense of perspective because these figures do not arrive by magic or because we are entitled to them.

A great deal of hard work on the part of all the tourism players and stakeholders in the country: STB; the national airline, Air Seychelles; all airlines serving the Seychelles; the DMCs: hotels; boat carters; car hires and the general public all contribute towards making Seychelles attractive to tourists. The day we fail to appreciate this and allow philosophy of ‘business as usual’ to set in, is the day we will fail to attract those numbers.

Much goes on behind the scenes to ensure the continued progress of our tourism and when we see, for example, the return of British Airways to our shores after so many years, you can be sure that it is the result of much hard work on the part of the authorities concerned. And when we see British Airways and other companies investing in doing business with Seychelles, then it is because they believe in us and have confidence in our brand and our product.

The core of my message to you on this tourism day is that we are all in this together. Tourism is our national industry and our individual attitudes towards our industry will influence its success or failure, whichever we choose.

We live at a time of great and intensifying international tension which is already impacting on peoples’ holiday choices. Keeping Seychelles safe, clean and welcoming in nature must become a personal campaign for each and every one of us as we educate our children to do the same.

Happy World Tourism Day.

Ambassador Maurice Loustau-Lalanne
Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine

Grenada’s Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture Hon. Clarice Modeste Curwen issued the following message on the occasion of World Tourism Day:

It gives me great pleasure to celebrate this special observance of World Tourism Day under the theme, “Sustainable Tourism, a tool for development.” Internationally and locally, the tourism industry contributes millions to the economy, creates livelihoods and facilitates a rich cultural exchange. In Grenada, the Tourism Industry provides direct and indirect employment for approx. 11,000 people and in 2015 visitors spent 392 million EC dollars in the economy.

The benefits are tremendous; however, we find ourselves at a crossroads. How do we maximize the benefits from this industry to promote sustainable development and a brighter future for generations to come? How do we as Governments, industry contributors and citizens play our part in making our countries and the world a better place. This means sustainable economic growth, decent jobs, preserving the environment and addressing climate change, celebrating and preserving diversity and culture and promoting peace.

Pure Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique is well on its way to making its contribution in creating a better world by preserving our natural environment. Already, many of our hotels have implemented energy saving measures to their businesses while some have stopped using Styrofoam products. The Government of Grenada has also pledged to table legislation banning the importation of Styrofoam and plastic as part of a proper waste management strategy. The effects of Styrofoam are well known as it is non-biodegradable and its link to cancer has been explored. This ban on Styrofoam and plastic will be a priority going forward.

Our brand Pure Grenada, Spice of the Caribbean reminds us that we should all aspire to do our part to ensure that our island gems remain clean and beautiful. I encourage you to support this brand by incorporating sustainable practices in your lives to achieve this goal whether it’s by conducting a community cleanup, encouraging friends and family to properly dispose of waste or implementing energy saving measures in your homes. Take the pledge today to keep Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique Pure.

As we observe World Tourism Day, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifai reminds us that whenever you travel, wherever you travel, remember to: Respect Nature, Respect Culture and Respect your host. Together, our efforts can be the catalyst for meaningful and sustained change through Tourism.

Happy World Tourism Day!