Category Archives: Seychelles

Seychelles touchdown marks 11th international airline in Durban

Yasantha Naidoo | 2017-03-30 15:20:09.0

King Shaka International Airport. Image by: Google Maps

The arrival marks the twice-weekly direct flight to Durban from Seychelles. Speaking shortly after the arrival Maurice Loustan Lalanne Seychelles minister for tourism and civil aviation said SA is a very important source for inbound tourism.

The number of tourists has tripled from 4000 in 2000 to 12 000 today. Lalanne said the direct route launch coincided with the 25th anniversary of bilateral agreements signed with SA.

He said in addition to tourism the new route would enhance trade ties and investments between both countries. Brigette Gasa chairperson of the Dube Trade Port said the launch was the result of a route development strategy implemented a few years ago.

"Within a short while this strategy has already resulted in partnerships with 10 airlines." Acting head of department for economic development tourism and environmental affairs Sibusiso Myeza said the touchdown marked a significant economic opportunity for both countries.

- TMG Digital/The Times

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Seychelles touchdown marks 11th international airline in Durban - Times LIVE

Toko Mouth farmer Simon Davies swapped seafood for sheep, as Sally Rae reports.

It's a long way from the Seychelles to Toko Mouth.

The path to farm ownership for coastal South Otago farmer Simon Davies has been an interesting one, including working in the seafood industry both in New Zealand and abroad.

Mr Davies (45) and his wife Joanna, with their two young daughters Georgina (3) and 7-month-old Juliette, farm Coombe Hay, a 750ha sheep and beef property boasting spectacular sea views.

Toko Mouth, 50km south of Dunedin and 15km southeast of Milton, is at the mouth of the Tokomairiro River and has about 70 holiday homes.

Brought up on a Taranaki sheep and beef farm, east of Stratford, Mr Davies completed a food technology degree at Massey University.

He wanted to do to the red meat industry what the dairy industry had done to milk - add value to it - but ended up being ''shoulder tapped'' and asked if he wanted to go into the seafood industry.

He spent four years with what was Crop and Food Research in the seafood unit in Nelson, followed by six months at Sealord.

That was followed by five years travelling around the world, working in seafood processing plants.

It culminated in working as a shift controller in a tuna cannery in the Seychelles which was producing 400 tonnes a day, with a staff of 1500 and operating 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

On returning to New Zealand, Mr Davies went back to Sealord to run a wet fish plant in Nelson and had just been put on to night-shift, which he loathed, when his parents asked if he was going to return to farm the family property.

So he got the plant up and running and then left to run the 485ha property, which was running sheep and moving into dairy support.

While at home, Mr Davies bought a small food processing business in New Plymouth which produced hummus and feta dips and spreads and supplied Progressive Enterprises supermarkets.

But when that was taken over by Woolworths Australia, suppliers were told to reduce their prices or no longer supply, and it became uneconomic to continue. He managed to ''escape with half my shirt'', he said, reflecting on the financial loss.

Mr Davies met his future wife, Joanna, through mutual friends in Christchurch. Originally from Berwick, she had been going between working as a journalist and teaching English as a second language.

He was getting a little frustrated, knowing he would never be able to afford to buy the home farm as a sheep farm now the heart of it had been sold and cows were being milked on the land.

His parents also bought their local pub, the Stony River Hotel, which was somewhat of a landmark in Taranaki.

Financially, it was a ''disaster'' but they shut it down and were now running an early childhood centre in half of it, with one of his sisters, which had proved very successful.

It might have disgusted the small number of regular pub-goers but it had been to the ''absolute pleasure'' of local families with young children. The other half was leased out and the arrangement was working well.

Mr Davies was keen to head to the South Island, believing there were better opportunities in sheep farming there, and Mrs Davies was also keen to move back south.

He spent about three years looking for a suitable farm, with a very specific set of criteria. He visited Coombe Hay on his last trip south, three hours before he was due to catch a flight home.

He almost instantly decided that he wanted to have a go at buying it. He had looked at about 30 farms from Nelson to Bluff and it was the first one that he thought, ''Yeah, I like this''.

The property, which was 600ha effective, was running 4200 stock units with potential to run 6000, which was about what they were running now.

The couple, who farm it in a 50:50 partnership with Mr Davies' parents, shifted south six years ago in August.

While Mrs Davies had assured him the climate was ''quite mild'', four days after arriving, a southerly wind blew over seven macrocarpa trees that had been in place for decades.

There was no question the climate was cooler than Taranaki but it was something he had got used to, he said.

His biggest concern about moving south had been snow, as he had never dealt with it. Since moving, there had been snow every winter on the property but it had not been a major concern.

Weather conditions were something he had to be much more aware of than up north. And, as a rule, it was usually about 5degC cooler at Coombe Hay than at the next sheep farm up the valley.

Mr Davies enjoyed fencing and had done a lot of it on the property. He also did about 90% of the stock work himself, bringing in contractors for the likes of cultivation and spraying.

''I'm a doer, I'm a bit of a workaholic. I can go on holiday once I've finished all the jobs on the farm. Unfortunately, a sheep farmer will never have all the jobs finished.

''I probably work too hard. I'm not good at doing nothing. I like a tidy operation,'' he said

Given its public location, Mr Davies was very conscious that there were ''lots of sets of eyes'' on their operation and that was not a bad thing.

''We are getting more and more public. This road is getting busier and busier,'' he said.

At weekends, from about October through to late April, it was almost not worth trying to shift stock along the road, as it was so busy.

In hindsight, he was not sure if it was the right decision to go farming from a financial perspective.

The medium-term outlook for sheep and beef was always looking ''wonderful'' but the short-term was always poor.

''When does short-term become medium-term? When does medium-term become reality?''

Six years down the track, Mr Davies said he was in a far worse financial position than when he arrived.

His lamb weights might have increased and his mean kill date was earlier, but lamb prices had dropped. ''In four years' time, if things haven't substantially improved, I'm history,'' he said.

Realistically, farmers needed to be getting $120-$140 a lamb, while wool had been an ''utter disaster''.

The New Zealand economy depended on agriculture and he had a ''horrible feeling'' that 60%-70% of the population was unaware of that.

''One thing that really concerns me is towns like Balclutha, Milton and Gore to some extent, if sheep and beef farmers disappeared forever, you could kiss goodbye to [them].''

Mr Davies was a big fan of contracts, saying it enabled farmers to farm to the best potential of the property.

''It just makes farming so much easier; it gives an indication of what you're getting for income and you know what you can spend,'' he said.

Mr Davies, who is a director of the Clutha Development Trust, had governance aspirations and would like to get on the board of Silver Fern Farms. He was very much in favour of SFF's joint venture with Shanghai Maling.

He had done a To the Core course for SFF shareholders, which he highly recommended. Being among very forward-thinking, progressive farmers was a highlight, he said.

He had also completed a Federated Farmers leadership course this year, recognising that he needed more governance experience.

With his different background - ''I feel I'm not a typical farmer'' - he had a tendency to look at things differently, he said.

If he had more time, he would like to ''play around'' with meat processing, saying there were so many opportunities that were not being looked at.

Mr and Mrs Davies were seeking resource consent to subdivide eight sections off their front paddock, seeing that as a way to help ''survive to go forward''.

The couple also rent out a three-bedroom farm cottage which was running very well. While they were initially targeting Kiwi families, surprisingly it was attracting more overseas tourists. A farm tour was also offered.

A walkway on the property, open to the public, had also been developed and it was intended to make it into a loop.

Mr Davies said farmers wanted to look after the environment and their animals. That was the reason he had put in 50-odd water troughs, 12,000 shelter belt trees and fenced between five and eight kilometres of waterways.

However, for farmers to farm environmentally sustainable, they needed to be financially sustainable as well.

''Generally for sheep and beef farmers currently, this is not the case. Hence the conflict between aspirations and reality for most sheep and beef farmers. A comment often spoken is 'you have to be in the black to be green'.

''Perhaps if a few more urban consumers considered the environment and bought woollen carpets, rather than synthetic, and bought more red meat, we could afford to be more environmentally sustainable,'' he said.

Farmers living in Otago were very lucky with the Otago Regional Council, saying its approach was ''so much better'' than other areas, he said.

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From Seychelles to farming at Toko Mouth - Otago Daily Times

Forbes

Six Senses Zil Pasyon Opens On The Seychelles' Most Dramatic Island Forbes There's a real Jurassic feel to this, we keep thinking a dinosaur is going to walk out of the rocks is a statement you hear a lot on Felicite, an island in the north of the Seychelles on which the private island resort, Six Senses Zil Pasyon, opened ...

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Six Senses Zil Pasyon Opens On The Seychelles' Most Dramatic Island - Forbes

Logistics Update Africa (registration)

Air Seychelles takes delivery of second Airbus A330 Logistics Update Africa (registration) With a second A330, our national carrier will now be able to enter the German market and increase capacity on other routes, supporting the growth of inbound tourism and by extension the economic development of Seychelles. 'Valle de Mai' will enable us ...

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Air Seychelles takes delivery of second Airbus A330 - Logistics Update Africa (registration)

Air Seychelles has welcomed the first of two new Twin Otter DHC-6 400 aircraft into its domestic fleet.

In late 2016, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles announced plans to undergo a major flee t expansion to significantly enhance its services and strengthen its regional network this year.

The new aircraft named Praslin after the second-largest island in Seychelles was welcomed by a delegation of government, tourism and airline officials.

TwinOtteraircraft have been an iconic sight in our skies for decades and its great to see the latest generation enter our fleet, not to mention the development of the dedicated, professional pilots who will be flying them, Jean Weeling-Lee, Chairman of Air Seychelles.

The new Twin Otter aircraft will enable the airline increase its number of flights by 12 per cent, providing more connectivity and convenience for residents and tourists in Seychelles.

Praslin will replace an olderTwinOtteraircraft and will be joined later by another DHC-6 400 turboprop called Farquhar.

TwinOtteraircraft are ideal and extremely reliable for the tropical environment of Seychelles. Air Seychelles believes that Praslin and Farquhar aircraft will serve the airlines business and guests for many years to come.

The airline also promoted five pilots in its domestic operations to the rank of Captain. Its strong pilot development programme sees a career path for Seychollois nationals progressing through First Officer to Captains on the Twin Otter aircraft and then onwards onto the Airbus Jet fleet.

Both Twin Otter aircraft will begin operations before end of March 2017.

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Air Seychelles Receives New Aircraft - Footprint to Africa - Business and Financial News (press release) (registration) (blog)

Article By: Contributor Wed, 15 Mar 2017 9:43 AM Signal Hill in The Seychelles. Credit: supplied

On your way to Paris, Mumbai or Dsseldorf? Why not tag two days in the Seychelles onto your trip?

Air Seychelles recently added a great number of destinations to its route network, accessible from both Johannesburg and Durban. The new flights allow for exciting stopovers in the beautiful archipelago of Seychelles.

We decided to look at what you could experience on a 48hrs stopover in Seychelles.

Day 1

Since you will only be spending two days in the Seychelles, opt to stay at one of the beautiful lodges on the main island, Mahe, as this will limit your travelling time.

Start your day at the market

On your first morning, get into the Seychellois spirit by breathing in the scents of local foods and spices amidst the vibrant colours of the Sir Selwyn Clarke street market.

Set at the bustling heart of the islands capital Victoria, this daily food market sells everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to spices, herbs and fish.

Admire the view at Mission Lodge

After breakfast at the market, head to the Seychelles most famous vantage point: Mission Lodge. The highest point travellers can reach by road on Mah, Mission Lodge offers unparalleled sea and mountain views. It is rumoured that even Queen Elizabeth II sipped tea in the small pavilion overlooking the sea.

Mission Lodge, which is the archipelagos first cultural World Heritage Site, also has a rich history. It is the place where the Anglican missionaries established a boarding school in the 1800s for slave children to offer them education and a better future.

Have lunch on the beach at Beau Vallon

Make your way to Beau Vallon for a delicious lunch on the beach at La Plage restaurant. The restaurant which received the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, lives up to its name with waterside tables overlooking the northern end of Beau Vallon. Expect excellent seafood and reasonable prices.

Spend the afternoon exploring an underwater wonderland

Beau Vallon has some of the greatest snorkeling sites on the island. Explore the beautiful Sunset Beach where snorkelers will find the most abundant and colourful marine life. The right side of the bay consists of rocky islets which are flush and reaching depths of about 3 metres. You can observe many butterfly fish, surgeon fish and parrot fish. When you swim to the sandy area of the bay, youll be able to see eagle rays as well as small white tip sharks.

Watch the sunset

Finish this perfect day on the beach of Beau Vallon where the sunsets are out of this world, with the smooth water reflecting the light beautifully.

Day 2

Explore Valle de Mai in Praslin

Hop onto one of the first ferries to Praslin Island to go and visit the beautiful nature reserve of Valle de Mai, also dubbed Valley of Eden.

This gorgeous World Heritage Site is one of only two places in the world where the rare coco de mer palm grows in its natural state. It is also a dream-come-true for avid birders who will be able to spot the endemic Seychelles bulbul, the Seychelles warbler or the endangered black parrot.

Take a leisurely 1- or 2-km hike through the forest and enjoy the endemic trees with a private guide, who will be able to give you the most interesting information about the plants and trees in this beautiful forest.

Cool off on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world

After hiking through the forest, go for a quick dip in the sea at one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Anse Lazio beach was recently graded as the 6th best beach in the world by TripAdvisor.

This white-sand beach is cradled by a large bay with two mountain peaks on each side, and is considered as a must on the list of to-dos for visitors to the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Have lunch at La Digue

After your swim, hop onto the midday ferry to the sleepy La Digue island. A lunch at Chez Jules is definitely a must. This secluded little restaurant offers excellent grilled fish fillet and tasty octopus salad alongside lovely sea views.

Cycle around La Digue or opt for an ox-cart ride

La Digue offers travellers a relaxed island vibe with beautiful beaches. This island has only a few surfaced roads and virtually no motorised cars (bar a few taxis). Instead, travellers can explore the island by bicycle. Its easy to ride around town and visit Anse Source DArgent, one of the most photographed beaches in the world.

For a more relaxing way of getting around the island, opt for an ox cart ride. Ox-carts were traditionally used on La Digue to transport anything too cumbersome to be balanced on a bicycle's cross bar. Today the island's ox-carts instead provide visitors to the island with a gentle relaxing trip around the La Digue coastal plateau and between the island's hotels and beaches.

Take the last ferry back to Mah and hop on your plane to Paris, Mumbai or Dsseldorf.

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Quick trips: 48hrs in Seychelles - iAfrica.com

ITB Berlin, which is said to be the worlds largest tourism trade fair, was held from March 8 to 12 in Germany, and Seychelles Tourism was there.

The delegation that was representing Seychelles at ITB Berlin last week met members of various media houses in Germany to promote the national airlines twice-weekly direct flight, Seychelles-Dusseldorf.

The press conference and a cocktail reception at the Seychelles stand, which was attended by the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai, were both organized in collaboration with Air Seychelles.

Speaking at the press conference, the Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), Sherin Francis, said the German market is already performing extremely well and is very buoyant.

With the twice-weekly Dsseldorf flight, it can only get better! The positive development in air connectivity has created a lot of excitement in the market, she added.

We look forward to working together with the Air Seychelles team and with you our German partners to ensure that we achieve the most from this new connection.

It is important to note that the support of airline partners is needed to ensure that the successful performance of the Seychelles tourism industry. STB values their support and ensures that the relationship remains a strong one, Mrs. Francis said.

Discussions held and plans laid with the different partners will surely help in maintaining the positive momentum of the industry for the rest of the year.

She added that the presence of the Seychelles delegation at ITB was to further cement the ties that have bound Seychelles to the German market since the outset of the countrys tourism industry.

It is indeed encouraging to see that our much-valued German market continues to perform, as the recent batch of visitor arrival figures shows. In 2016, Seychelles enjoyed yet another record year for tourism arrivals, finally breaking through the 300,000-visitor ceiling, and early in 2017, we witnessed a truly ground-breaking increase in arrivals of over 30%.

In this troubled, unsettled world of ours, Seychelles remains an oasis of calm and tranquility while our reputation for being the land of perpetual summer is still intact, she added.

Mrs. Francis concluded by thanking the team from Seychelles who were part of the delegation.

Aside from the press conference, Mrs. Francis was also interviewed by Martina Feyerherd from fvw Magazine, a specialist magazine for tourism and business travel.

In a second interview, Mrs. Francis met Eike Knall from The Radio Group, which was founded in 2007 on the basic premise of serving listeners with local radio.

The Radio Group operates 15 radio stations with more than 100 employees. Each station is unique to the market it is located in and employs local air talent.

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Seychelles Tourism in the spotlight at ITB Berlin - eTurboNews

On a leisurely afternoon stroll during our stay on Alphonse Island in the Seychelles, we are greeted by an unusual sight: a giant Aldabra tortoise ambling along the road. Welcome to the rush-hour on Alphonse. If you want to get away from it all, youve come to the right place.

The island used to be only famous for fly fishing. But now it is proving it has much more in its tackle-box. The recently refurbished Alphonse Island hotel is offering the destinations first foray into luxury travel for all the family and its a resounding success.

Staffed by 64 very friendly employees, under the auspices of the excellent MD, Gordon Rankin, Alphonse Island has 21 gorgeous, recently-redecorated beach bungalows and five beach suites, each with a direct view of the sea.

You can reach Alphonse via Paris on Air Seychelles. The welcoming in-flight service and delicious tropical food instantly get you into the Alphonse vibe. On landing, you spend the night in the Seychelles capital Victoria. We stay at very pleasant Eden Bleu Hotel, which offers an enviable view of a nearby marina.

Next morning, we board a small propeller plane to fly an hour south to Alphonse, across seas glistening like jewels in the sunlight. It is an appealingly casual airport, whose fire engine is pulled behind a tractor.

As you step off the plane, there are no passport or security checks. It must be the easiest airport to pass through in the world. On the airstrip, we are greeted with refreshing flannels and coconuts full to the brim with milk.

Nature trumps everything else at Alphonse Island. You are never more than a few minutes away from the next amazing animal encounter. On a nature walk, for instance, we see a horned ghost crab and learn that it can bury itself in the sand and hide from predators for up to six hours.

Alphonse Island, which has a maximum occupancy of just 52 guests, takes conservation very seriously. For instance, to protect the delicate coral reef, no motorised water sports are allowed on the island. In addition, those fishing on the island use barbless hooks, and every fish caught on a fly is immediately released back into the water.

One of the many terrific activities on offer at Alphonse Island is snorkelling, and its a breath-taking experience. Like an extra in a David Attenborough documentary, you swim among an incredible array of tropical fish with the most wonderfully exotic names: schooling snapper, bluefin trevally, batfish, moorish idol, milkfish, powder blue tang, moustache triggerfish, nudibranch, yellow-lip emperor, jobfish, damselfish, dog tooth tuna, yellow margin triggerfish, and Picasso triggerfish. Its like being in an aquarium, but with no walls.

On another day, we go on a dolphin-watching expedition. We are searching for spinner dolphins, so called because they are exhibitionists who like to put on a show. They enjoy nothing more than leaping out of the water in front of the boat and twizzling in mid-air.

There is a visceral thrill when we spot a pod of 100 spinner dolphins in the deep waters surrounding Alphonse. As they circle the boat in a gorgeous arc, formation-dance teams of dolphins breach the surface simultaneously in the most amazing sea samba. They pirouette around the boat in a mesmerising routine. Its quite a spectacle.

On the island itself, 50 giant Aldabra tortoises which can live up to 200 years (and so may have been born around the time of the Battle of Waterloo) and weigh more than 300kg freely roam the paths and, as we have seen, block the traffic.

There are any number of other superb activities to participate in at Alphonse Island, from paddle-boarding and cycling around the car-free paths on your own personalised bike to a Flats Lunch, taken knee-deep in water on a spectacular sandbar on the neighbouring island of St Franois.

The staff at Alphonse Island make the experience all the more enjoyable. Guests congregate in the early evening in the bar area, a beautifully designed thatched deck that leads out onto another picturesque beach. There the fisherman swap tales about the ones that got away.

We are encouraged by Gordon to come to the bar barefoot, So you can feel the sand between your toes. A bell is rung in the bar every evening at 7pm for a light hearted celebration of the days achievements. Prizes are awarded in categories such as Biggest Bonefish of the Day and Most Sunburnt Person of the Day.

The bar area is also where the hotels delicious fresh food is served. The only drawback is that the wi-fi in the bar wont allow you to send photos. There must be a smugness block.

Alphonse Island is full of lovely touches. For instance, when you arrive, they leave a welcome tropical flower and kikoy (or sarong) on your bed, to be worn at the last night party.

But the absolute star attraction of the beach bungalows has to be the outside shower at the back of the house. Shielded from prying eyes by a wooden log wall, you can enjoy a wonderful shower open to the elements. Its highly invigorating.

God is in the detail at Alphonse Island. For example, after an hour of a glorious kayaking trip, just when youre beginning to flag, hotel staff meet you on a beach by the end of the runway with cold water and wet flannels.

Alphonse is very lucky in that it has no snakes, no killer sharks, no terrible mosquitoes, no insect-borne diseases, and no hurricanes (because its too close to the equator). Also, for those of us used to taking dips in the icy North Sea, swimming in the balmy Indian Ocean is like taking a warm bath.

The risk of writing such an article is that it encourages legions of holiday-makers to visit and ruin the unspoilt idyll you have just described. The Eagles sang about this in their classic song, The Last Resort: You call some place paradise, and youre kissing it goodbye.

But the thing is, Alphonse Island really does live up to its paradise billing.

When, as I do, you come from a big city where you cant go anywhere without being crowded out by hundreds of cars and people, it is an uncanny experience to walk for miles along a flawless white beach without seeing a single other soul.

There are fewer and fewer places like this in the world, and they really need to be preserved. There are no cars on Alphonse, and youre more likely to be woken by the sound of a turtle than an engine. There is also no mobile signal on the island, so it is ideal for escaping all those hassly calls asking if you have thought of claiming for mis-sold PPI.

As we pass through the tiny arrivals lounge after our return flight to Victoria, I notice a tourist board poster on the wall. Over a photograph of a Seychelles beach, the caption reads: All the trappings of a truly amazing vacation without the feeling of being trapped.

I couldnt have put it better myself. n

Air Seychelles (www.airseychelles.com) flies from Edinburgh to Mahe, Seychelles from 672 return per person.

A seven night stay in a Beach Bungalow on a full board basis (excluding beverages) including inter-island flights from Mahe to Alphonse Island return is 8,980 per couple. For reservations contact Jordyn Kate Mackenzie at reservations@alphonse-island.com or tel: +248 4229700 (GMT + 04:00). For additional information, visit http://www.alphonse-island.com

Prices for a one night stay in a Deluxe Room at Eden Bleu Hotel start from 265 per room per night, reservations@edenbleu.com

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Travel: Paradise found on Alphonse Island in the Seychelles - The Scotsman

Jessica Pothering

Jessica is a business and finance writer, focusing on impact investing, social entrepreneurship and economic development. She previously reported for financial publications covering the global private equity, real estate and insurance markets.

Last years deal between the Seychelles government and The Nature Conservancys NatureVest unit was touted as a game changer for climate finance (see, Debt-for-Nature Swaps Let Impact Investors Finance Climate Resilience).

Behind the scenes, philanthropic grants helped convince the Seychelles to do the dealand could be the key to engineering future deals for overburdened, climate-vulnerable countries.

A new case study from Convergence, the blended-finance matchmaker, found that $5 million in grants from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, China Global Conservation Fund, and others enabled the Seychelles to raise their commitment to marine conservation.

NatureVest helped the Seychelles restructure $21.6 million in sovereign debt. In turn, the Seychelles agreed to a large marine protected area in the West Indian Ocean and created a permanent fund for climate adaptation efforts.

There are at least 15 other small island countries with high debt loads that are vulnerable to climate change.

This post is from ImpactAlphas daily newsletter.Get it first in The Brief.

Photo credit: Visualitineraries.com

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Behind the scenes of the Seychelles debt-for-nature deal ... - ImpactAlpha (registration)

After her first trip to the stunning islands of Seychelles, one of the teachers at Al Yasat school in Abu Dhabi, Sara Al-Zubi, fell in love with the islands and wanted to share her experience with the students, so she came up with an initiative.

The Seychelles islands was the main theme of a presentation given to a group of students at the Al Yasat private school in Al Shamkha, Abu Dhabi.

Tourism attach based in Abu Dhabi, Aliette Esther, was contacted by the school to help with a presentation and Open Day.

"On the first day, I gave a presentation to students aged between seven and eight years old. I usually work closely with travel agents and professionals involved with the travel and tourism trade, so these young minds were a different segment of the market. I had to come up with a totally new presentation which was geared towards them. It was challenging, but a lot of fun, said Ms. Esther.

"I covered a few themes like the people, the flora and fauna, the language, and other aspects of our culture. The students stunned me with everything that they knew, thanks to their teacher's hard work."

Miss Al-Zubi was enthused from her trip to the Seychelles, and started preparing for the presentation and Open Day.

It fitted in perfectly with the curriculum, and that made it even more worthwhile.

From posters to papier-mch figurines, drawings of the flag and pictures of animals, as well as their own representations of different aspects of the islands, the students seemed to have covered it all.

These were also on display the following week for the Open Day, where the parents of the over 850 students, 95% of whom are United Arab Emirates (UAE) nationals, were in attendance.

The parents asked a lot questions about the islands, sharing their children's fascination and enthusiasm, she said.

Miss Esther added that the highlight of the day was a dance performance that the class had prepared, and whereby three of the students wore traditional costumes of the Seychelles.

The whole audience was clapping and cheering to the rhythm of the music.

"It was really touching to see children of other nationalities loving the country so much," Miss Esther added.

Everyone went home with fond memories of the islands as well as little souvenirs of the Seychelles in the guise of coco-de-mer key-rings and different colored tortoises ordered specially for the event.

The Seychelles was showcased alongside Tunisia, Italy, Argentina, Thailand, Japan, South Africa, Mexico, Cuba, England, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Germany, Greece, Russia, Morocco, Australia, Switzerland, Jamaica, New Zealand, and India.

The schools Principal, Dr. Jake Madden, thanked Miss Esther for the effort she invested in marketing and selling the Seychelles, and for sustaining the interest of so many parents, children, and staff throughout the day.

"I think we can definitely expect a few families from the Al Yasat Private School to visit the Seychelles this year. They were all impressed by the fact that they can get a visa on arrival and that the islands are only four hours away from the UAE.

To top it off, it is perfectly safe, and that's a definite attraction. The UAE is well-connected with the Seychelles archipelago by three airlines and four scheduled flights per day, one of which is Air Seychelles the national carrier; Etihad Airways; and Emirates Airline, she said.

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Abu Dhabi students fall in love with Seychelles - eTurboNews