Gerard Brown, Neil Mulligan, and Sajid Desai from Routes used the ITB 2012 Tourism Trade Fair in Berlin to meet with Alain St.Ange and Elsia Grandcourt from the Ministry of Tourism & Culture of the Seychelles to discuss the July Routes Africa 2012 Conference set to be held for the first time in the Seychelles.

The Routes Africa Conference will rally African Tourism Boards and Tourism Ministries, Civil Aviation Authorities from Africa, and airlines from Africa of those flying into Africa for discussions aimed at reinforcing the triangular approach of tourism development (airlines, civil aviation authorities, and tourism boards) and to review the global tourism and airline situation.

Seychelles has been awarded the bid for organizing the Routes Africa 2012 Conference, and the ITB meeting between the Seychelles authorities and the Routes organizers was to discuss the plan of action based on the bid submitted by Elsia Grandcourt, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board.

Alain St.Ange, the newly-appointed Seychelles Minister for Tourism & Culture, said that Seychelles was ready to host the 300-delegate Routes Africa Conference and that his ministry would be working closely with the Routes organizers to assure that the 2012 Routes Africa does not only Routes justice, but also Africa proud.