Stakeholders within the Seychelles tourism sector recently convened for a pivotal session to explore insights provided by UN Tourism expert Lisa Gordon-Davis. This marked her second mission in Seychelles, focusing on crafting a roadmap for human resource development within the local tourism sector.
Initiating in October 2023, Ms. Gordon-Davis embarked on a fact-finding mission and engaged in a series of field meetings with Seychelles industry stakeholders, yielding a productive exchange of ideas. Collaborating extensively with various stakeholders, she refined the strategy and collected valuable input before the final presentation.
The presentation of the finalised findings took place at the Eden Bleu Hotel on Mahé on Monday, April 22nd, 2024. Attendees included Mrs. Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary for Tourism, along with participants from the Tourism department and other industry partners.
Key recommendations included:
- Policy and Regulatory Framework: Addressing workforce requirements, local workforce potential, policies on employing foreign workers, and industry competitiveness.
- Training: Addressing training and skill enhancement needs, training for trainers, and integrating tourism into the education curriculum.
- Youth Engagement: Initiatives for youth awareness and engagement in the tourism industry, including career information paths.
- Public Sector Capacity Development: Enhancing understanding of the tourism industry among public sector employees directly involved with tourism.
The validation process included meetings across Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue, culminating in a recent internal gathering at the Tourism Department on Thursday, April 25th, 2025.
Reflecting on the progress of the Tourism Human Resource Development (THRD) strategy, Principal Secretary for Tourism Mrs. Sherin Francis, expressed satisfaction with the work done, highlighting its alignment with national priorities for sustainable socio-economic growth and people-centred development.
The THRD strategy, a core component of the nine priorities outlined by PS Francis in June 2021, will be led by the Destination Planning and Development division. Launched by the tourism department in January 2022, the strategy endeavours to harness both local and international talent to secure benefits for Seychellois from sectoral growth and bolster tourism earnings. In doing so, it seeks to ensure that the industry has the right skills to deliver service excellence and maintain the nation’s competitive edge.
Since its inception, the strategy’s development has involved extensive consultations with key partners to understand the tourism industry’s needs and dynamics. In 2023, the tourism department sought UN Tourism support for an expert mission to conduct a human resource needs assessment and prepare a roadmap for sector development.
