CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES 1

Leading to the official Launching of TESS on Saturday 23^rd February 2008.

Awareness and Understanding of the ongoing process

Measure No. 1 of 25 (In no particular order)

Remarks by

Mr. Joseph Belmont

Minister for Tourism and Transport

On the occasion of the official launch of

The Anse Royale Ecotourism Committee

Saturday 17^th January 2004

At 0900 hrs

Anse Royale District

Administration Building

Thank you Mr. Faure for you warm words of welcome.

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning

1.0 It is for me a great honour to be here with you this morning so as to officially launch the work of The Anse Royale Ecotourism Committee.

2.0 It is befitting for me therefore to on behalf of the Government thank you most sincerely for having kindly accepted the invitation for you to serve on this most important Committee for the sustainable future of our Tourism Industry.

3.0 One of the main provisions of the Seychelles Ecotourism Strategy (SETS 21), which you will recall was officially launched right here in September last year, is for Seychelles to further develop community based tourism, for the community and by the community themselves.

4.0 In response to your very own request, and equally in view of its rich history, cultural heritage, its physical beauty, and its emerging importance as the second city for our national development processes, your district has been chosen to undertake pilot projects pertaining to community participation in Ecotourism.

5.0 Your mandate therefore would be for you to be the voice of the local community and in partnership with all other stakeholders both on the national and international level, to develop and implement Ecotourism activities that would maximise economic benefits for the community, that would foster cultural sensitivity and that would assist in further minimising the many negative impacts on our fragile natural environment.

6.0 Today no one can disagree that for Seychelles to not only maintain but increase further its ability to compete in this fierce global arena, we must continuously find ways and means to add value to the industry and to deliver products and services that would set us apart from the many other similar destinations worldwide.

7.0 Our unique and diverse culture, the every day lives of our people, the way in which we interact with our environment and the products that we create are of considerable interest to the tourist.

8.0 And Ecotourism provides us with many opportunities to use tourism for local economic development, and to develop clusters of products and services that can be marketed both to the international and domestic tourists.

9.0 However, your will agree that it would require the support, the dedication and commitment of each and every Seychellois to not only value the importance of tourism for our economic well being but to also work together at all levels for the benefit of the industry.

10.0 Your mandate therefore is an important one from which communities around Seychelles will be able to draw valuable lessons from and necessary for the planning and development of their own future Ecotourism activities at local level.

11.0 Today therefore, I wish to assure you of the unconditional support of the Ministry of Tourism and Transport and all other parties concerned in Government for the effective discharge of this most important mandate for the future of our tourism industry. I have no doubt that we can also count on your support in this direction.

12.0 Once again thank you for responding positively to our call to further build our image together and to also express my very best wishes for the success of our mission… and let us not miss this golden opportunity to learn and create together.

Thank you very much

The End