The Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA), in collaboration with the Seychelles Tourism Board, has hosted an interactive presentation, which is one of the activities that had been organized to commemorate the 2011 World Tourism Day.
The interactive presentation, held on Monday, September 26, saw a number of representatives from Seychelles hospitality industry address the students of STA, as well as lecturers of the academy and members of the Seychelles Tourism Board.

The Deputy Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Elsia Grandcourt, who welcomed the students and guest speakers, expressed a few words of thanks at the opening of the event.

“We thank the facilitators from the tourism industry for being here today, for [being] willing to share your expertise and experience to our young Seychellois people who would like to pursue their careers within the tourism industry,” said Mrs. Grandcourt.

Addressing the students were Ben Karroo of Le Meridien Barbarons, Ken Choo from Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort&Casino, Georges Gravé and Fréderic Vidal from MAIA Luxury Hotel&Spa, Ulrick Denis of Fisherman’s Cove Hotel, and Fulgère Morel of Castello Beach Hotel.

Each of the hoteliers delivered a different topic in relation to the tourism and hospitality industry.

Mr. Karroo, as the General Manager of Le Meridien Barbarons, talked on “Effective Communication for Front Office and PR Staff,” emphasizing the need for positive body language when communicating with clients.

The General Manager of Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort and Casino, Mr. Choo, addressed the subject of “Motivation in the Hotel Industry.” He underlined how crucial it is for someone working in the tourism industry to feel truly passionate about their work if they aspire to go far in their career.

Maia Resort’s Director of Training, Mr. Gravé, and General Manager Mr. Vidal made a joint effort in a bilingual presentation about “The Importance of Quality in the Hotel Industry.” Inviting the entire audience to join hands, they expressed the significance of every “link” in the “chain” of tourist stops that make up a visitor’s holiday.

Head chef at Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove, Mr. Denis, with the help of student volunteers and a display of fresh fruits and vegetables, demonstrated how creative one can be with a simple set of ingredients. He conveyed with great success how rewarding his job is as a chef.

The session ended with a presentation on “Hotel Interaction within the Community and Challenges in the Hotel Industry,” by the General Manager of Castello Beach Hotel on Praslin, Mr. Morel. Students were able to put across their motivations for choosing to work in the hotel industry as Mr. Morel explored his presentation topic.

The interactive presentation was an opportune moment for students to reflect on their personal advancement in the industry, with guidance from industry role models. It was also a chance for the hoteliers to encourage the progress of the Seychellois work force in this sector of the country’s economy.