Seychelles this morning stepped onto the continental stage, as President Dr Patrick Herminie officially opened the 69th Meeting of the UN Tourism Commission for Africa (CAF) and its accompanying Thematic Conference on Strengthening Human Capital to Boost Africa’s Tourism Growth, held at the Kempinski Resort Seychelles. Before an audience of African tourism leaders, the President set the tone for the two-day gathering with a clear message: the future of tourism on the continent rests not on infrastructure, but on its people.
In his keynote address, President Herminie described tourism as “above all, a people business” and reaffirmed that his government had placed people at the centre of its development agenda. He cited Seychelles’ sustained investment in developing tourism talent, including the strengthening of the Seychelles Tourism Academy, the expansion of hospitality and tourism education, the introduction of tourism clubs in schools, and the creation of clear pathways for young people into the industry.
Building on this, the President turned to the continental picture, urging African nations to invest more deliberately in their people as the foundation of the sector’s growth. He said the future of African tourism “will not be defined solely by the number of hotels we build or visitors we welcome” but by the people the sector empowers and called on the continent to position itself as one defined by excellence in tourism education, training and service.
UN Tourism Secretary-General, Ms Shaikha Al Nuwais, addressing the opening ceremony, said that connectivity brings opportunity, but that it is people who turn opportunity into growth, adding that this growth is strongest when it includes everyone. Her remarks echoed President Herminie’s call to strengthen Seychelles air connectivity and source markets at a time of uncertainty in the Middle East.
Minister for Tourism and Culture, Mrs Amanda Bernstein, addressing the conference, said tourism was Seychelles’ largest economic sector and among its biggest employers, with the industry currently employing roughly 10,800 people, of whom approximately 57 per cent are Seychellois and 43 per cent are foreign workers. She said this had informed the development of Seychelles’ first-ever Tourism Human Resource Development Strategy for 2026 to 2029, built around five priority areas including workforce planning, education and training, localisation and career progression, leadership development, and strategic partnerships.
The Minister said localisation was not about replacing foreign workers, but about creating the conditions for more Seychellois to enter, remain and progress within the tourism industry, particularly into supervisory and leadership roles.
She encouraged fellow African ministers to place human capital development firmly on the continental agenda, stressing that investment in hotels, airports and tourism products would not achieve their full potential without a skilled workforce to deliver them.
The opening ceremony of the two-day conference was attended by Vice-President, Mr Sebastien Pillay, Speaker of the National Assembly Mrs Azarel Ernesta, Ministers and Deputy Ministers from across the Africa region. It has brought together delegates from 27 countries across the African region, including Angola, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, among others, to discuss strategies for boosting human capital development in the tourism sector, a key pillar of the continent’s economic growth.
The ceremony was a vibrant showcase of Seychellois Creole culture, brought to life through traditional song, dance and arts. Following the opening ceremony, President Herminie visited an exhibition of handicrafts by local Seychellois vendors.
Seychelles has been a member of UN Tourism since 1991, and having first hosted the CAF Meeting 20 years ago, this week’s gathering marks the country’s second time as host.
This year’s CAF carries added significance as the first meeting convened under the leadership Ms Al Nuwais since she assumed office as Secretary-General of UN Tourism in January 2026, and her presence in Seychelles marks one of her first official engagements with the African region since taking up the post.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Seychelles.
