Second Training Session of Tourism Commission agents in Seychelles records more entrants

Focusing on customer service skills training with insight on tourism brand awareness for the Seychelles, the Tourism Commission Agent Training is aimed at providing agents with an in-depth knowledge on how they should package themselves on the local tourism market.

In hopes to reduce substandard products and explore all facets of customer service, the Department for Tourism within the Ministry for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, in conjunction with the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA), organized a second session of the one-day training directed at unlicensed tourism commission agents.

The training which was conducted on Friday, August 18, at the Ex Assembly Hall-National Library saw the participation of key stakeholders from the tourism industry, of which, for the first time, the organizers welcomed the Marine Police force to further sensitize commission agents about the risks of unethical practices on different frontiers of tourism services.

Following the one-day training, the unlicensed commission agents received certificates from STA which is the accredited body to deliver the credentials. STA facilitates their requests for a license, allowing them to perform their job in conformity with the Seychelles Licensing Authority (SLA) regulations.

Conducting the one-day training, Mr. Gerard Port-Louis, Director for Tourism Human Resource Development at the Tourism Department explained: “This training is aimed at customer service skills training, designed to explain to participants about how to better facilitate their tasks and ensure that they have the proper brand awareness of what they are selling, limiting risks of selling sub-standard products. The training is also exploring all facets of how the agents should approach their clients, from deportment, grooming, ways of delivering the products and how to really exceed the expectations of their clients,” he added.

He further explained that this training will allow for the closer monitoring of commission agents and additionally gear them with badges which will give them the right to conduct their businesses lawfully.

In her opening speech, Mrs. Anne Lafortune, Principal Secretary to the Tourism Department, shared that this training and the bestowed certificate will further allow for the met protocols of practice from the commission agents as well as limit the number of substandard services being offered.

“This training is aimed at enhancing on the guidelines to be followed by commission agents and with the new addition of Mr. Port-Louis within the tourism department, we will be meeting with more groups to offer them training,” Mrs. Lafortune explained.

She further added that “being that tourism is the main source of income into our economy, we are following this training to further encourage you all to deliver the best to our visitors.”

Following the day length training, the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Mr. Maurice Loustau Lalanne, joined the session where he delivered his speech and handed commission agents with their certificate of accomplishment.

“It is important that we all gather from time to time to undergo such refresher training, especially with new emerging markets in the tourism industry of Seychelles. Tourism is a big a family, hence we must unite to practice the services rightly with a lawful license. Our aim is to correct the errors and lift the services to a higher standard so as to push Seychelles in the forefront in the region,” Mr. Loustau Lalanne explained.

Following the grand success of the first training session which was held in March this year, the department for tourism hence declared a second similar training to allow more candidates to earn a license to operate.

According to Minister Loutau Lalanne, the training will be touching grounds with more groups of tourism stakeholders to ensure that the protocols are outspread.