    . |
|
|
|
|
Seychelles-
A World Leader in Conservation
Hon. Simone Conaramond, (right),Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Profile requested. EcoTourism
2001 Report The Seychelles boasts hundreds of unique tropical plants and some of the planet's rarest birds. It has two Unesco World Heritage Sites: the Vallee de Mai on Praslin island-the world's only forest of coco de mer palm trees, with coconuts shaped like a female pelvis; and Aldabra, the world's largest coral atoll and home to 150,000 giant tortoises. With nearly 50 per cent of its territory declared national park, wildlife reserve or protected area, the Seychelles is one of the most environment-friendly countries in the world. But its new Environment Management Plan for the first time includes a section on tourism taking conservation even further. The first step was the creation of the public-private Seychelles Tourism Marketing Authority (STMA), which depends on the government for funding but operates autonomously. Its work is supervised by a 12 member advisory board, including two government representatives and ten from the private sector. "STMA was created to reposition the islands, revamp the products, revamp the industry and provide the destination with a marketing structure" says CEO Francis Savy. "Moving the marketing function out of the tourism ministry has put us in a position to be more proactive and adapt better to the needs of the market." "Tourism has become a mainstay of our national economy and basically what we have to offer visitors is our natural beauty," said Seychelles Tourism Minister Simone de Comarmond. "So the second generation 2000-2010 EMP identifies ecotourism development as a national priority and includes stricter measures for enforcing and implementing existing standards. Other goals of the plan include reducing the negative environmental impacts of tourism, especially waste disposal; promoting sustainability; and capacity building in environmental management techniques within the tourism sector. |
As
we focus on events preceding and following Africa Travel
Magazine's exciting EcoTourism 2001 Edition and
Symposium, we are pleased to report that the Seychelles
Islands group is in the forefront in terms of
conservation of land, culture and wildlife. While I have
praised this beautiful part of the word to friends far
and wide as a 'dream destination,' most travelers have
yet to experience its pleasures. I will describe some of
my personal, experiences and provide recommendations on
local hotels and attractions later on this site and in
our magazine. The Seychelles Archipelago, located in the
Indian Ocean east of Kenya, has an fascinating history
and culture. French is widely spoken, and the Seychelles
is part of home .ads. airfares..ata...e-mail ,,events ffashion.,food,.hotels ..map...news ..subscribe.. usa-canada