The Seychelles delegation, led by Principal Secretary for Tourism, Mrs. Sherin Francis, recently participated in a high-level series of meetings in Madrid, Spain, focusing on the future of tourism statistics and sustainable tourism development.
Mrs. Francis was accompanied by the Director for Strategic Planning, Mr. Chris Matombe, the Director for Industry Planning and Policy Development, Mrs Bernice Senaratne, and the Principal Statistician from the National Bureau of Statistics, Mrs. Kirsten Arnephy.
The meetings, hosted at the UN Tourism headquarters, brought together global tourism leaders and statisticians to discuss the evolving role of data in shaping the tourism industry.
During the 20th Meeting of the UN Tourism Committee on Statistics, Mrs. Francis delivered a presentation on the future of tourism statistics in Seychelles. She highlighted the importance of Seychelles’ ongoing commitment to strengthening its Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), which provides essential data for informed policy-making.
Mrs. Francis emphasised that accurate and timely statistics and real-time data are vital for shaping the long-term sustainability of the tourism sector, especially in island nations like Seychelles, where tourism plays a central role in economic development.
Addressing the challenges Seychelles faces in producing robust tourism data, she underscored the limited resources available and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted both the collection of data and the development of the TSA. However, she reiterated Seychelles’ dedication to improving data accuracy and quality through innovative tools, diversifying its data sources, and having greater collaboration with international partners.
The Seychelles delegation also actively contributed to discussions during the 5th Meeting of the Expert Group on Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST). Mrs. Francis shared Seychelles’ experience with integrating sustainability metrics into its tourism strategy, with a focus on measuring the environmental and social impacts and enhancing visitor satisfaction.
She highlighted the importance of developing global standards for measuring sustainability in tourism, which will help countries like Seychelles make informed policy decisions that balance economic growth with environmental conservation and the resulting social impacts.
Seychelles was re-elected by its African counterparts to represent Africa on the UN Tourism Statistical Committee at the 66th UN Tourism Commission for Africa held in Mauritius. Mrs. Francis’ participation in these meetings underscores Seychelles’ leading role in promoting sustainable tourism and improving tourism statistics at the global level.
The discussions in Madrid will have long-term implications for how Seychelles and other African tourism nations continue to develop their tourism sector, particularly in relation to enhancing data collection, improving the TSA, and adopting sustainable practices that align with international standards.
Seychelles remains committed to working with global partners to ensure that its tourism industry remains competitive, sustainable, and resilient in the face of global challenges.
