It is very important for every tourism destination to mark the 27 th of September because this remains the dedicated day for Tourism.
World Tourism Day arrives every year, but it cannot just be a day that we think of tourism and then return to the old habits and close our eyes to practices that hurt tourism.
Alain St.Ange, the former Seychelles Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine speaking as he prepares to leave Seychelles for TIME 2023, the World Tourism Network Summit in Bali, said that if the world values tourism as an industry it needs to be reflected day after day and to be recognized as the industry that keeps many an economy afloat and keeps the millions in employment.
“Tourism cannot just be an activity for today. It needs to be embraced as the industry we want for today, tomorrow, and for the future. We must be seen to be living by statements we make to push for a sustainable tourism future that will help feed our people and safeguard our economy,” said former Minister St.Ange who is now also a VP for World Tourism Network, a VP for the ‘AFASU’ Asia & Africa Tourism Awards for Capital Cities, and runs his own tourism consultant firm in Seychelles
The world of tourism is gathering in Riyadh on September 27, and on September 28 many will go to the World Tourism Network Summit in Bali, Indonesia.
“There is no better time for a tourism summit,” said St.Ange “because thinking tourism, living tourism, and wanting tourism to succeed is what will mark a Tourism Day.
We must take the “Tourism and Green Investment” reflection point and stretch it further.
Tourism is not a resort or a hotel, it is not the airline or a cruise ship, it is not the DMC or the tourism guides – tourism is more than that and must be seen as enveloping all these spin-off businesses and employment avenues in the country where tourism is being seen as a viable industry.
We do not have a tourism industry for an airline, or one for a hotel group.
We must see it as One Tourism Industry that we all work together to make it succeed.
The destination must rise to the level and not be the bad apple in the basket of apples.
The country is a tourism destination, and every government has the responsibility to ensure they are providing the necessary infrastructure and services which will be seen as the benchmark to their tourism industry.
Let us use Tourism Day 2023 to commit to being tourism destinations worthy of the name ‘A Tourism Destination,’ said Alain St.Ange.