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Seychelles has agreed to help the West African country of Gabon with its tourism development.
This agreement was reached in Libreville after talks between Magloire Ngambia, Gabon's Minister for the Economy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, and Alain St Ange, chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board.
Mr St Ange was in the Gabonese capital last week after an invitation forwarded to the government by Annie Blondel, tourism development adviser to President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
Seychelles remains the one country in the African Union (AU) with a successful tourism industry.
"Tourism remains the pillar of our economy, and since the recent restructuring at our tourism board we have embarked on the road to further consolidate our tourism industry and ensure continued growth in visitor arrival numbers," said Mr St Ange.
After lengthy talks in Libreville between Mr St Ange, Mr Ngambia, Mrs Blondel and Amandine Ogouebandja from Gabon's Ministry of the Economy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, it was agreed to formalise a request to President James Michel – who holds the tourism portfolio – for Seychelles to help Gabon in its bid to set up a tourism industry.
Areas of cooperation will include setting up a Gabon Tourism Board and tourism information offices in Gabon and potential tourist markets, and helping with the structures to set up destination management company training at the Seychelles Tourism Academy for students from Gabon.
The agreement also covers development and production of a leisure and business guide for Gabon, the development of the tourism licensing inspectorates section with training for staff, and launching a campaign to increase the visibility of Gabon as a tourism destination.
It is expected that as soon as the official documentation between the two governments is exchanged, these points will be tackled and technicians from Seychelles will travel to Gabon to help with specific short-term contracts.
Leaving Gabon for Paris enroute to Seychelles, Mr St Ange said he was impressed by his talks with Mr Ngambia.
“He is committed to see Gabon develop its tourism industry and he wants to see it done well," he said.
Gabon is known to have great untapped potential, with mountain retreats, majestic waterfalls, stretches of empty beach and a people wanting to see this new industry developed.
Mr St Ange also said he discussed with the minister the possibility of Gabon sending to the 2012 Seychelles Carnival a cultural delegation comprising a couple of Gabon's indigenous pygmy tribes.
"It is one way to increase visibility for Gabon as Seychelles invites press and television networks from all over the world to cover its unique ‘Carnival of Carnivals’,” he said.
(SeyNat)
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