Daily Archives: March 22, 2024

Ambassador Conrad Mederic, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Seychelles to the African Union represented Mr. Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, at the 22ndExtraordinary Session of the Executive Council held on Friday 15 March 2024 at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa.

The session was tasked with exploring the most suitable ways to elect senior officials within the African Union Commission, additionally, the session had to define the process of selecting the team that will lead the AU in 2025 for four years, by prioritizing considerations of cohesion, equity, rationality, and a spirit of consensus.

In his intervention, Ambassador Mederic recognised the importance of the Agenda item and noted the need for African Union Member States to prioritise the Continents interest in the preparations to elect the next leadership of the Commission. He further emphasized the importance for countries within the eligible regions to have equitable chances to serve the Leadership of the Commission.

The Session, without any objections, endorsed that the next Chairperson of the Commission should be from the Eastern Africa Region, which Seychelles falls into. The position of the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission shall be for the Northern Africa Region. Both the Eastern and Northern Regions are to submit female and male candidates for both positions respectively. The principle of rotational gender parity shall also be applied to the posts of Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson ensuring that if a male is elected as Chairperson, then the Deputy Chairperson shall be a female and vice versa. It was also decided that the three other regions; Central, Southern, and Western, would compete for the six positions of Commissioners, with the principles of gender equality and meritocracy.

Ambassador Mederic was accompanied by Mrs. Patricia Ilunga, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Seychelles in Addis Ababa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism Foreign Affairs Department, Republic of Seychelles.

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Seychelles participates in the 22nd Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council - Africa.com

In a proactive move to enhance the relationship between Seychelles and Turkey and to explore new avenues in the tourism sector, a high-level delegation from the Seychelles Tourism Department embarked on a significant work visit to Istanbul, Turkey.

The central focus of the visit was a crucial meeting held on Thursday, March 14, with executives from Turkish Airlines.

The delegation was headed by Minister Sylvestre Radegonde, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, accompanied by Mrs. Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary for Tourism, and Mrs. Bernadette Willemin, Director General for Destination Marketing. The Seychelles delegation met with Mr. Bilal Eksi, Chief Executive Officer of Turkish Airlines and members of his team including Mrs. Ozlem Salihoglu, Senior Vice President of International Relations and Alliances and Mr. Hikmet Turkseven, Vice President of Sales.

The meetings discussions centered around optimizing airline routes, improving connectivity, refining promotional strategies, devising collaborative tourism partnerships, and promoting sustainable tourism practices.

Minister Radegonde expressed his optimism about the meetings outcomes, remarking:

This was important to strengthen Seychelles-Turkey ties in tourism.

We are confident that the discussions and collaboration with Turkish Airlines will enrich the overall travel experience for our potential and returning visitors.

Echoing similar sentiments, the Turkish Airlines delegation re-affirmed their dedication to strengthening the relationship with Tourism Seychelles. Both parties shared enthusiasm about the potential growth in tourism traffic and subsequent economic benefits for Seychelles and Turkey that would result from these collaborations.

During their mission in Turkey, the Seychelles delegation also toured the recently inaugurated cruise ship terminal, Galataport in Istanbul, renowned globally for its excellence in facilitating cruise ship operations.

Presently, Turkish Airlines facilitates connections to Seychelles with three weekly flights via its Istanbul hub, providing seamless access for travelers.

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Tourism Seychelles and Turkey Tourism Enhance Relationship - eTurboNews | eTN

The Tourism Seychelles representative office in Middle East organized a strategic Travel Agent Networking Dinner in Bahrain on March 5, 2024. Held at Flavours, Downtown Rotana, the event enhanced Seychelles presence in the Bahraini travel market.

Gathering travel agents from Bahrain, the dinner targeted both budget-conscious travelers and high-profile individuals. With the goal of bridging the gap between the two markets, the event aimed to raise awareness about Seychelles and foster collaborations within the tourism industry.

Ahmed Fathallah, representing Tourism Seychelles in the Middle East, led the initiative, emphasizing the importance of strong ties between Bahrain and Seychelles in tourism.

Our aim was to create an interactive environment where travel agents could connect with Seychelles offerings.

Ahmed Fathallah added, Engaging with key stakeholders in Bahrain can stimulate tourism growth between our regions.

Feedback from attending agents described the event as an intimate gathering with effective interactions, indicating a promising start to strengthening ties with the Bahraini travel trade.

While this event was initiated by the Tourism Seychelles Middle East Office as part of its ongoing efforts to tap into the Bahraini market, it is worth noting the prior memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Seychelles and Bahrain on June 19, 2021.

This MoU underscores the importance of travelers from Bahrain and highlights the ongoing collaboration between the two countries in the tourism sector. Furthermore, the MoU reflects the mutual aspiration to revitalize the civil aviation and tourism sectors and to facilitate and enhance safe travel between the two countries as part of economic recovery initiatives following the Covid-19 crisis.

Moving forward, the Tourism Seychelles Middle East Office aims to build on the momentum gained from the Travel Agent Networking dinner by engaging with key stakeholders and exploring further collaboration opportunities.

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Seychelles and Bahrain Enjoy Tourism Networking Dinner - eTurboNews | eTN