Also, the Seychelles Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, accompanied by a Seychelles delegation, participated in the 25th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly held in the historic city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The delegation comprised Mrs. Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary for Tourism, Mr Chris Matombe, Director for Strategic Planning, and Mr Danio Vidot, Protocol Officer from the Foreign Affairs Department.
During the opening day of the assembly, Seychelles participated in the UNWTO Committee of Statistics meeting, of which Seychelles is currently serving as Vice-Chair. During his address at the committee meeting, Minister Radegonde highlighted the accomplishments of Seychelles in developing a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) with the support of the UNWTO, becoming one of the first countries in the region to have managed to do so.
However, the Minister also acknowledged the various challenges currently being faced with the project’s implementation.
Minister Radegonde also outlined Seychelles’ sustainability efforts, which include the management of tourism beds through a moratorium on large hotel projects. He explained the tourism strategy aimed towards fostering higher-value, lower-impact tourism by focusing on better and diversified products that attract tourists willing to spend more while visiting the destination. His address was in line with the UNWTO’s Statistical Committee’s forthcoming major project, measuring sustainability in tourism – a committee where Seychelles has managed to retain its seat for another term.
The 25th session of the General Assembly was attended by over 117 countries and featured the participation of more than 70 Ministerial representatives. The event spanned over four days, with two days dedicated to the General Assembly’s agenda. Main highlights included the presentation of the Secretary General’s report, which focuses on current trends in international tourism, as well as the implementation of the general programme of work items for 2022-2023, and the draft program of work for 2024-2025.
While in Uzbekistan, the Minister and delegation attended a series of bilateral meetings, including discussions with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, the Governor of Namangan province, and a meeting with the Minister of Tourism of Zambia.
The next General Assembly meeting is expected to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025
SOURCE: Seychelles Tourism Minister Attended the UNWTO General Assembly
