Blue Panorama announces suspension of Seychelles flights from mid September

BLUE PANORAMA TO SUSPEND FLIGHTS DUE TO ITALIAN ECONOMIC CRISIS

Information was received from the Seychelles that Blue Panorama, which stepped into the void left for direct flights between Italy and the archipelago after the dramatic cessation of flights by Air Seychelles earlier this year, has announced that come mid September they will suspend for the time being operations to Mahe.
The airline cited insufficient numbers for their decision to suspend operations, generally blaming the weak Italian economy on the decline in passengers.
The news were received with mixed feelings by the Seychellois tourism trade, remembering all too well the fallout and significant loss of travelers from France, after the direct flights were halted, and one source from Mahe said in an email response: Passengers, of course depending on the fares, prefer nonstop flights when traveling long haul. True, there are enough options now to fly to Seychelles through the Gulfs hubs of Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai, but it always involves a stop and a change of planes. Some markets are more sensitive to such changes as we saw in France so there is work to be done in Italy. The tourist board and private sector have to talk to the travel agents and the tour operators to accept the situation and start using for instance Etihad and then connect from Abu Dhabi with Air Seychelles to Mahe. The alternative is to use Qatar Airways or Emirates to come here. There are enough seats available to keep our momentum for 2012 in motion but it is one challenge we did not need. It is always mixed publicity when an airline drops a destination and similar to when Air Austral decided against flying from Paris via Mahe to Reunion, although there were also other issues in play. For now Seychelles is ahead of 2011 in numbers and on track to beat the 200.000 arrival mark for the first time. What happens now we shall have to see.
No formal reaction has yet been seen from official sources in the Seychelles but it is expected that regret will be expressed, with understanding that adverse market conditions in Italy are ultimately held responsible for this regrettable development. Watch this space.

COMESA issues media statement on forthcoming 1st Sustainable Tourism Forum set for Nairobi / Kenya between August 22 to 24

COMESA ISSUES MEDIA STATEMENT AHEAD OF TOURISM FORUM IN NAIROBI

The Lusaka based headquarters of Africas largest trade block, COMESA, has today issued a media statement ahead of their First Sustainable Tourism Summit due to be held in Nairobi / Kenya in just under two weeks time. Initially scheduled to take place earlier in the year the organization then decided to prepare even more comprehensively for the event, due to be held at Nairobis Windsor Golf and Country Club between August 22 24.
Keynot speakers have been invited from across the 19 member countries and from Eastern Africa speakers lined up, still to be finally confirmed, include Dr. Titus Naikuni, Group Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Airways, The CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Tewolde Gebre Mariam and the Group Managing Director and CEO of Serena Hotels Mahmoud Janmohamed, amongst several other top reputed captains of industry.
The three day event, organized jointly by the COMESA Secretariat and the Ministry of Tourism in Kenya as host country, will be packed with key note speeches, workshop and discussion sessions and Q&A opportunities where the plenary will have the opportunity to question industry leaders, from both private and public sector, on the way forward for the tourism industry across COMESA.

The statement received reads in full as follows:

MARCHE COMMUN DE
LAFRIQUE ORIENTALE ET AUSTRALE

COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND
SOUTHERN AFRICA
Tel : (260 211) 229725/32

Fax : (260 – 211) 225107
Email : info; and info
Web : http://www.comesa.int

COMESA Centre
Ben Bella Road
P O Box 30051
LUSAKA 10101
Zambia

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 09 AUGUST 2012

First COMESA Regional Sustainable Tourism Development Forum

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Business leaders and policy makers will for the first time discuss a competitive approach to tourism in the region. COMESA has organised the Sustainable Tourism Development Forum, to be held on 22-24 August 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya. The public-private dialogue, to be held under the theme Shaping the Future of Tourism in COMESA, will bring together over 70 regional participants from tourism boards, investment promotion agencies, tourism businesses and development partners.
The meeting, is to be hosted by COMESA Secretariat in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism for Kenya .The Forum has been organized through the support of the COMESA Business Council in partnership with Kenya Investment Authority and Kenya Tourism Board. The meeting will analyze the regional diagnostic study of COMESAs 19 Member States, whose aim was to come up with a framework for regional approaches that can be undertaken by both the public and private sector stakeholders to promote a more competitive, investor friendly, sustainable tourism sector in the region.
The framework addresses issues such as putting in place a regional policy and strategy that defines tourism in the region, promotes the relaxation of visa requirements for tourists, packages and brands tourism, investment in infrastructure for tourism development, upgrades the sector to meet regional and global standards, promotes investment in key areas of tourism such as hospitality and catering, addresses supply side constraints in the hotel industry, and exploits the quick benefits of E-Tourism; among others.
The setting of the Forum, Windsor Resort Hotel, one of the luxury resorts of Kenya, will provide the country an opportunity to showcase its tourism attractions and provide the participants with a taste of Kenyas natural beauty, diverse culture, local brands and quality wildlife experience.
It is expected that dignitaries from the tourism sectors of Morocco, Egypt, and the Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA) will also attend the meeting, which will share the experiences of corporate hotels like Serena Group, Speke Hotel Group, and renown tour operators from all countries in the COMESA region.
In the face of an ever changing economic and political environment, tourism continues to succeed as a well performing sector in regional and international markets. While the industry moves towards adopting more sustainable models, the economic outlook of the sector today clearly indicates that there are great benefits to reap through a regional approach to boosting competitiveness, sustainability and investment.
Among the expected results of the Forum is a roadmap and action plan owned by the stakeholders, which will structure tangible approaches towards shaping a sustainable tourism strategy and implementation framework for the COMESA region.
Tourism is the fastest developing enterprise in Africa and one of the continents major investment opportunities, standing at 6 percent growth rate the last decennium. Africa receives 4.8 percent of all tourist arrivals in the world, and 3.3percent of the receipts and although it is not at the heart of the global tourist market, this modest proportion of the worlds number one industry is still important for the continent. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that, from direct and indirect activities combined, the tour and travel sector now accounts for a remarkable 9.2percent of global GDP. Tourisms contribution to employment is estimated at 6 – 7 percent of the overall number of jobs worldwide, and it makes up 4.8 percent of world exports and 9.2 percent of world investments.
-ENDS-