Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, accompanied by Ambassador Vivianne Fock Tave, the Seychelles Ambassador accredited in Belgium, and Mr. Philippe De Baets, the Island’s Honorary Consul General, were received at the Namur Hotel School by Mr. Philippe Bultot, the Province of Namur Provincial Elected Representative in charge of the Education portfolio. Mr. Philippe Monfils, the Belgium Minister of State; Mr. Jean-Marc Van Espen, the Province of Namur Provincial Elected Representative responsible for Tourism, Environment, Technical Services and Agriculture; Mrs. Ariane Warnon, the Director for the Province of Namur Hotel School; Mr. Christian Hebrant, the Province of Namur Governor’s Office Chef De Cabinet; and Mr. Bernard Ruyssen, the Director for External and International Relations for the Province of Namur.

The Seychelles Minister and his delegation were given an expose on the Hotel School of the Province of Namur, and the two delegations discussed the possibility for cooperation between the Seychelles Tourism Academy and the Province of Namur Hotel School. The discussions were seen as fruitful, and both delegations agreed to pursue discussions through the Office of the Seychelles Ambassador based in Brussels in order to enable the signature of on MOU to be able to take place to cover exchanges and attachments of students between the Seychelles Tourism Academy and the Hotel School of the Province of Namur and cultural exchanges between the province and the Seychelles, among many other points.

After a roundtable meeting, the Seychellois delegation was given a tour of the Hotel School of the Province of Namur before being hosted to a lunch at the School’s Training Dining Room (Restaurant D ‘Application).

Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, said at the end of the visit of the Hotel School of the Province of Namur in Belgium that the visit was not only interesting, but also that it was clear that with the discussions held, many areas of cooperation between Seychelles and Belgium existed. “We saw many areas where Seychelles and the Province of Namur in Belgium could sit to discuss real cooperation. We have now organized for Mr. Flavien Joubert, the Principle of the Seychelles Tourism Academy, to visit the Hotel School of the Province of Namur to prepare the working documents which will be the base for an MOU between the Seychelles and the Province of Namur,” Minister St.Ange said.

The Hotel School of the Province of Namur is a highly-rated hotel school with big emphasis on the practical side of hotel management. Students have to compulsorily rotate between restaurant service, kitchen, butchery, and management studies.

“One area of discussion covered the posting of Belgium Hotel Management Training Students in Seychelles for their practical period. This will open the way for the Seychelles Tourism Academy to be able to also send their students to Belgium for attachment periods. This visit will help us open up new possibilities for our tourism industry students,” Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture said.