The Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Regional Organization this week met in La Reunion to finalize the way forward for the organization with the appointment of the organization’s Executive Director. At a meeting held at the Lux Hotel at St.Gilles in La Reunion, Tourism Ministers and representatives from Seychelles, La Reunion, Mauritius, Madagascar, and Mayotte met under the chairmanship of Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister of Tourism and Culture, who is also the sitting President of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Regional Organization.

Sitting as an observer at the meeting was Mr. Jean Claude De L’Estrac, Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission (COI).

Minister Alain St.Ange reviewed deliberations of the COI meeting held the day before which was assisted by most of the members present. It was agreed that the Vanilla Islands should and would work as closely as possible with the COI Secretary General and with his team.

After deliberations on all the applications received for the Vanilla Islands positions of Executive Director and Director of Marketing, it was resolved that Pascal Viroleau, currently the Head of IRT (Ile Reunion Tourisme) be appointed the Executive Director. For the post of Director of Marketing, it was resolved that Derek Savy, the known marketing specialist in the Seychelles, be offered the position subject to him accepting terms and conditions for the post. The new Executive Director has been mandated to write to Mr. Savy to offer him the position.

The delegates present also agreed to increase the team to manage the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands and a third position, that of Director responsible for Strategies for the Vanilla islands, will also be created. From written applications already received for the position of Executive Director, it was decided that the position be offered to Karl Mootoosamy, the current Executive Director of the MTPA of Mauritius.

After deliberations by all delegates present at the meeting, Mr. Michael Sik Yuen, the Mauritius Minister responsible for Tourism, and Mr. Robert Desvaux, the Chairman of the MTPA of Mauritius, agreed that Mr. Mootoosamy be seconded to the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Regional Organization for a period of up to two years. The new Executive Director of the Vanilla Islands has now been mandated to formally confirm the position to Mr. Mootoosamy with all applicable terms and conditions.

“Following this big step forward, it was also agreed that a follow-up meeting should take place early in December to finalize the organization’s budgets and to approve Vanilla Islands’ marketing plan of actions for 2013. This follow up meeting is needed to now move the organization’s action plans forward and ensure that at the next major tourism trade fair, the Vanilla Islands will be grouped together under the ‘Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands,’” Said Minister Alain St.Ange, who is also the President of the Indian Ocean Vanilla islands.