Tourism businesses registered under the Lospitalite Lafyerte Sesel programme and their employees were recognised for their commitment to service excellence on the evening of Saturday 26 September 2026, as the fifth Lospitalite Lafyerte Sesel Service Excellence Awards brought the industry together at Savoy Resort & Spa.
Hosted by the Tourism Department under the leadership of the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Mrs. Amanda Bernstein, the awards marked five years of the Lospitalite Lafyerte Sesel programme and opened this year’s Tourism Festival.
“When we launched this programme, we set out to recognise the people behind the Seychelles visitor experience. This year, we have changed how we do that. Instead of asking who came first, we are asking every business to measure itself against a clear standard and keep climbing. Ninety-three businesses meeting that standard tells us service excellence is becoming the norm across our industry, not the exception,” said Minister Bernstein.
The ceremony brought together tourism businesses, employees, industry partners and government representatives to celebrate the people whose daily work contributes to the Seychelles visitor experience.
The event was attended by Vice President Mr. Sebastian Pillay, the guest of honour, alongside Principal Minister Mr. Wallace Cosgrow, other ministers and representatives from across the tourism industry.
The Lospitalite Lafyerte Sesel programme recognises achievement in two main areas: Tourism Businesses and Tourism Employees.
For 2026, the programme introduced a new recognition framework for participating businesses. Rather than ranking businesses first, second and third, recognition is based on assessment results across three levels:
- Commitment (70 to 79 per cent): Recognising businesses that have established strong foundations and demonstrate a clear commitment to improving service standards.
- Aspiration (80 to 89 per cent): Recognising businesses that consistently deliver a high standard of service while continuing to work towards greater excellence.
- Excellence (90 to 100 per cent): The highest level of recognition, awarded to businesses that demonstrate exemplary performance and serve as national benchmarks for service excellence.
The new approach encourages continuous improvement and inspires businesses and employees to raise service standards across the industry.
For the 2026 edition, 96 tourism businesses registered for the programme, with 93 meeting the required standard for recognition, including 26 in the Commitment tier, 59 in the Aspiration tier and 8 in the Excellence tier.
Businesses were assessed through a combination of planned assessments, mystery visits and mystery calls, with criteria adapted to the different categories of participating businesses.
Assessments focused on key elements of the visitor experience, including cleanliness and hygiene, staff presentation and grooming, guest welcome and engagement, complaint handling, staff training and professional development, guest satisfaction monitoring, the integration of Creole culture, and telephone etiquette.
Where relevant, assessments also considered amenities, menus, services, promotional activities and consistency in service delivery.
Celebrating Seychellois craftsmanship
Each recognised business received a certificate and a Lospitalite Lafyerte Sesel trophy, designed and created by renowned Seychellois sculptor Joseph Norah.
The trophy celebrates Seychelles’ Creole identity and the pursuit of excellence. Its design features hands raising a star, symbolising the people behind the tourism industry and their shared commitment to high service standards.
Lospitalite Lafyerte Sesel continues to support the Tourism Department’s efforts to strengthen service quality across the tourism industry while recognising the people who shape the visitor experience.