Owners of tourism establishments on Seychelles’ second largest island, Praslin, have taken the opportunity of the recent door-to-door visits by the Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St.Ange to discuss their concerns and challenges.

Some of the main issues raised during discussions with the minister included the lateness and reliability of the Seychelles Public Transport Cooperation’s buses in certain areas of the Baie Ste. Anne district especially past the Anse Possession sub-district.

Discussions also centered around the need to have more entertainment, especially those which promotes the traditional Creole culture. These include a regular moutia night on the beach or bazaars to help develop a meeting stop for visitors and Seychellois alike.

Another concerned local entrepreneur voiced out was the importance of togetherness within the Praslin communities. Minister St.Ange said he also believes that small communities in the country should work together to better this industry and to help consolidate it for the long term.

He said people in small communities should work together to bring more entertainment in their surroundings and to make their communities livelier, which in turn will put them more into the limelight.

Most hotels have complained of the nuisance of touting on the beaches, of theft, and of unlicensed excursion operators.

There have also been complaints from tourists on the access to places such as Anse Source D’Argent, an issue which Minister St.Ange assured the Praslin hoteliers has already been raised by the trade during the recent multi-sectoral meeting with the business community, tourism trade representatives, and government heads.

When visiting the Lauriers Petit hotel, Minister St.Ange was given an overview of the happenings of this small part of Praslin island which is having negative impacts on the tourism industry of Praslin. The Les Lauriers Petir Hotel has recently been re-built as new from ground zero following a fire that had destroyed a major part of that establishment.

One of the owners of Lauriers Petit hotel, Sybille Rose, said there is adequate business for the small hotels of Praslin, but operators needed to work to make the businesses work for them.

“I would like to see the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association (SHTA) set up a branch for the small hotels, so that we can have our own meetings and voice out the concerns relating to small establishments only. The association needs to note that the points of concern for the small hotels are not the same as for the larger ones,” she said.

Mrs. Rose said there needs to be a change in the management and upkeep of the Cote D’Or area if Seychelles wants the Praslin tourism industry to keep blooming.

Minister St.Ange said it is vital for the concerned authorities to take these issues seriously and to act on them, especially the part regarding the cleanliness of the area, streets lights, and unlawful acts against tourists.

These acts are common at night as there are no street lights. There is only one light just after Cote D’Or apartments, but all the way to Domaine de La Reserve there are absolutely no street lights even though this area remains a key tourism center.

The establishments’ owners have called on Minister St.Ange to work with the authorities concerned on these cases so as not to let the industry go down on that part of the island.

Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .