ROUTES AFRICA: Tourism Minister Opens Record Regional Event in Seychelles

The seventh Routes Africa opened yesterday to an engaging and thought-provoking debate on some of the key topics impacting the aviation business in the Continent. To a packed audience of delegates, discussions focussed on bilateral agreements and barriers to developing flight connectivity within Africa, although a number of issues were addressed.

The Strategy Forum preceded the Welcome Reception, where delegates were able to sample some local hospitality from this year's hosts the Seychelles Tourism Board in partnership with the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority. Speaking to The HUB, Alain St Ange, Seychelles' Minister for Tourism and Culture said: “Seychelles is proud to be hosting Routes Africa and to have this opportunity to facilitate networking between the major players of the airline industry at this prestigious forum.

"We live in a highly interconnected world where no organization can afford to be an ‘island unto itself’ and where the formation of mutually beneficial partnerships and synergies is increasingly the only way to prosper. Indeed, we are already witnessing the ‘Golden Triangle’ of cooperation between Airlines, Tourism and Civil Aviation expanding to encompass cruise ships and the development of successful cruise/fly programmes, with all that implies for the future enrichment of our respective tourism industries.

“It is against this backdrop of the necessity for increased regional and international participation that Routes provides an invaluable medium for advancing the interests of the African aviation industry and for cultivating the networks necessary for that industry to flourish across the broadest spectrum of activities.

“As a small island state, Seychelles is acutely aware of the importance of this process and so it is perhaps fitting that on this occasion we are the host of Routes Africa and in a position to act as a catalyst and facilitator.

“It is my hope that the amazing diversity that Seychelles offers in terms of its islands, ethnicity and culture will inspire us all to grasp the bigger picture of regional opportunities and potential, new win-win associations to carry us forward into a new era of friendship, collaboration and prosperity.”

Today, will mark the second day of the Strategy Forum and the start of the formal one-to-one meetings and it is worth remembering once again the important role that air services play particularly in a region where limited ground infrastructure means journeys by land can be long and arduous.

Each of the Routes regional events held to date in 2012 have had record numbers of attendees and as David Stroud, Executive Vice President Routes, UBM Aviation revealed yesterday, this year’s Routes Africa continues this trend with the highest ever number of airline and airport delegates registered to join us in Seychelles this year. In fact the number of pre-arranged meetings ahead of its opening was up 95 per cent on the figure last year in Bamako, Mali.

“Despite the continuing difficult times within the industry, the importance of developing and preserving air services is still considered paramount for our airports, cities and regions, and this is particularly important for island communities such as the Seychelles and the surrounding Indian Ocean region. Seychelles continues to explore new avenues to potential markets in new regions as it pursues a policy of diversification in response to the recession in its traditional core markets across Europe,” highlighted the Routes executive. “It is for this reason that this year was a particularly good year to bring Routes to the Seychelles.”