DEFENDING THE TOURISM INDUSTRY

THE MAIN PILLAR OF OUR ECONOMY

Foreign hotels eating up the small fish
Over the years and throughout our history, the SPPF / Lepep government have been the prime architects killing the goose that lays the golden egg. From the infamous ‘gold card’ to the biased concessions handed out to foreign investors, they keep making the same blunders! They are now hell bent on starving the Seselwa out of the taxi, car & boat hire businesses. The latest trick is Duty Free Cars and Boats given to foreign owned hotels.
 How can anyone be that subservient to foreign groups at the detriment of their own brothers and sisters? Our little country was a colony until 1976, but that era is history and those in charge must move on and continuously remind themselves that our 'Masters' are gone and that we are now claiming to be free of our 'colonial past'.


A hotel is a tourism establishment and not a defacto taxi company, nor is it a car hire or a boat charter company. If that is the expected norm why would Maurice Lalanne of the STB support such absurdities? Our tourism industry will never be stable until our people are left to benefit from that industry. Giving away the country's crown jewels (prime land and beaches), the obvious side benefits of our tourism industry must be left for Seychellois. But do they want to strangle the ‘pti Seselwa’ who are trying to make a living from their country’s prime industry? These are the reasons why today in Zimbabwe, they are moving to get existing businesses to donate to the locals 51% of their business. This solution may seem farfetched, but when you are allowing big businesses to milk the country's main industry with no care for the country's small people, extreme solutions are brought in sooner or later as corrective measures. In fact, this was also the case in Seychelles where investors have to go into such investments with Seychellois partners.


Taxis Services must be left for Seychellois. Car Hire businesses must be left for Seychellois. Boat Charters must be relooked to ensure that Seychellois benefit from that business. Defacto maneuvers of hotels getting involved into these services are also unacceptable and the concessions given to hotels to have big luxury duty free cars & duty free boats are measures allowing them to partake into these activities deemed protected for Seychellois – at our very own detriment.


Unlicensed accommodation establishments were addressed last week when we aired the Farquhar Island dilemma where a Mauritian tourist, Mr. Felix Maurel, is believed to have disappeared and now presumed dead. These establishments are a time bomb for the Seychelles tourism industry and one that is waiting to explode. Farquhar lost one tourist; more will happen if Mr. Lalanne, Mr. Moncherry and their group of inspectors refuse to act to close them down. Why clamp down on the small Seychellois trying to have a change of use for their small establishments when the big boys, including the Government’s (IDC) Farquhar Island are allowed to operate illegally? Isn’t that shameful?


Well today we bring another foreigner who has joined Farquhar Island's illegal practice. Foreigners are now taking to the gravy train of doom being piloted by James Michel. They can all grab a piece of Paradise for a few pieces of silver, build a mansion, convert it to a tourism establishment, advertise it overseas, collect all the revenue overseas, dodge all taxes, seek Seychellois citizenship, laugh all the way to the bank and enjoy permanent retirement on a beach under the sun! This is happening before our very eyes! And yet, Maurice Lalanne turns a blind eye and would rather enjoy another round of golf instead of dismantling this racket that is robbing the real Seselwa of the little crumbs that this government leaves them. Yes, Mr. Lalanne! Here’s a website for starters: http://dovolena-seychely.cz . A Czech who is flaunting all the rules and regulations that are supposed to govern and regulate our tourism industry… We realize that Mr. Nalathamby is now unable to react because the precedence is set by Farquhar. What a disaster!

Air Seychelles gets greedy?

The domestic arm of Air Seychelles has increased its charter rates to private islands such as Bird and Denis raising a few eyebrows. This matter is puzzling because nobody serious in the tourism industry can increase their charges by over 50% and expect to be taken seriously. If their costings were wrong for all those past years then those responsible MUST be fired for wasting public funds. If they have just gone hungry for quick cash they SHOULD be fired for hurting our country's tourism industry reputation, because the hefty new increase in their charges is exactly what they are doing. Discussing the matter at Pirates Arms this week, everyone just laughed saying that such decisions by Air Seychelles is what can be expected. Today they are in India, tomorrow they are out; tomorrow they are in Malaysia and the day after they are out again. No concrete plans, no management, just a joke everyone believes. Now they have forgotten the need to bring tourists to Seychelles and are flying British Army personnel to Falklands and ethnic Mauritians to Mauritius. The question is - do we need a French woman to market such a comedy? Do we need 6 French Managers in France to manage that 'theatre'? Do we need a Mauritian Doctor to be the 'metteur en scene' of such a performance?


Our Seychellois can do all these jobs and our airline and our country would be much better off if only David Savy can learn to believe in Seychellois. When the likes of Conrad Benoiton and Freddy Karkaria managed Air Seychelles all those foreigners were not involved and the airline was working for the interest of Seychelles and turning a profit. Today, it is total confusion with all these expatriates. We should expect more of these disasters. And by the way, Rama Sithanen is out of a job in Mauritius and we should not be surprised if David Savy invites him for another stint by his side to help save his skin…


Next week we shall look at the staffing at Air Seychelles and why Seychellois employees are today so unhappy and many looking at leaving.