Welcome to Edition #17 of Saint Ange Tourism 2018, Monday 30th April 2018
The Editorial this week highlights the change of Tourism Minister for Seychelles as announced by President Danny Faure, the request proposed by Jules Hoareau’s TV program on rental of bicycles on La Digue by the larger hotels, Tourism for All and the Air Seychelles cooperation, the new book on tourism by Edition Universitaires Europeennes, the environment that remains the preoccupation of everyone and ends on the call for a study of Assumption for the construction of a Military Base.
Seychelles Has A New Minister of Tourism
President Danny Faure has announced a Cabinet of Minister’s reshuffle and with it, a move from tourism for Minister Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, after just over a year and a few months in office. He has been replaced by Minister Didier Dogley who was formally the Minister for the Environment. Minister Loustau-Lalanne moves to the Ministry of Finance. Minister Dogley’s new Ministry continues to cover Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine.
We wish Minister Dogley well as the new Tourism Minister and we take this opportunity to wish all Ministers success in their new portfolios.
Jules Hoareau TV Program Called For Reforming Bicycle Hire on La Digue
The morning show on Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) TV by popular presenter Jules Hoareau appealed for large hotels on La Digue not to be in the business of hiring of bicycles. The insinuation that Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie was in that business was made and the Resort’s Owning Company was contacted to seek their views.
Joe Albert, the Group’s Chairman confirmed that the Resort was not in the business of hiring bicycles to their guests and to visitors on La Digue, but he accepted that one of the shareholders in the company was personally involved in a bicycle hiring business which has now raised the concern.
Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie of La Digue has 63 Villas which includes a Presidential Villa and a couple of Exclusive VIP Villas. For these eight villas, they attach 16 bicycles for their sixteen guests which they offer on a complimentary basis as part of the facilities on offer. These sixteen bicycles are owned by the resort and covered by the Insurance Policy of the Resort.
Joe Albert agrees that the hundred or so hotel guests should be able to have access to all those in the business of hiring bicycles and that he will be moving to open up that possibility very soon. Today the La Digue “Severe Bicycles” has exclusivity at the resort and the Chairman of the Hotel’s Owning Company agrees that this needs to change as the practice is seen as being unfair.
He nevertheless emphasized that Bicycle Operators who wish to offer their bicycles to the resort’s guests will be required to show that they have insurance for their Bicycle Hire business. “This is only the duty of care we have as the resort,” said Joe Albert.
Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie of La Digue employs 217 staff members out of which 72% are Seychellois with a large proportion being Diguois, or affiliated with La Digue.
