• Localization of posts was one of the topics raised during the meeting.

• The ministry wants more of Seychellois in the tourism sector and also organizes training for students in the country’s tourism academy.

During a meeting between the Department of Tourism and hotel general managers on Thursday, one of the topics discussed was the localizations of positions in the Seychelles’ tourism industry, as well as the workforce and training.

The tourism sector in Seychelles is the top pillar of the country’s economy and over the years, many issues have been raised on the high level of expatriate workers in the industry. 

The meeting was chaired by Seychelles’ Tourism Minister Sylvester Radegonde, who said that localization of positions is essential “as we not only need more Seychellois in hotels but we want to keep them there”.

Radegonde butress that “the difference between this meeting and the others held with the owners of smaller establishment is that while the smaller establishments are mainly owned by Seychellois, the general managers here today were mainly non-Seychellois”, and noted that the discussion is pivotal as they are the ones who employ many workers in the industry.

Other topics discussed were staff training and motivation, as general managers who have international experience will be sharing their expertise with students from the Seychelles Tourism Academy. Also the mentorship programme was discussed and the hotel manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Allamanda Resort and Spa, Doreen De Letourdie said as a mentor herself she is setting her objectives together with the mentees. 

The meeting is a component of the minister’s plan to routinely visit tourist attractions with the goal of enhancing existing tourism goods and introducing fresh ones. Radegonde also added that there are plans to have additional meetings during the year, where “those attending will evaluate the progress made over the last three months”.