(Seychelles News Agency) - A not-for-profit organisation has joined forces with Seychelles’ tourism department with the aim of increasing sustainable tourism’s best practices. 

The founder of Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation (SSTF), Daniella Payet-Alis, and principal secretary for the tourism department, Anne Lafortune, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday. Under the MOU the two parties will collaborate on projects that will raise awareness and foster engagement of the private sector, Seychellois workforce and tourist participation.

“The MoU is a continuation of what we have been doing already and we are hoping that by 2022, at least 60 percent of our tourism establishments will have the label and Seychelles can be certified as a sustainable tourism destination, establishing a name for itself and maintaining its relevance,” said Payet-Alis.

The MoU was signed on Monday by the founder of Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation, Daniella Payet-Alis, and principal secretary for the tourism department, Anne Lafortune. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY

She said that “the main agreement between the ministry of tourism and SSTF is to strengthen our ties, with the aim of bringing positive environmental and socio-economic change in Seychelles and of course to make Seychelles an international best practice example for sustainable tourism.”

One of the projects expected to be carried out in the near future is the placement of biodegradable bags in hotel rooms where guests will be encouraged to carry back home items they would have otherwise left behind.

The projects could help lead to more tourism outlets earning the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label, a tourism management and certification programme designed to inspire more efficient and sustainable ways of doing business.

“We work with hotels to show them that when they carry out sustainable practices, there is a label that they are given. This is about the same ambition that the foundation has as they want to make sure that activities being carried out by establishments are sustainable activities,” said Lafortune.

She added that the two parties “will work together to make sure that the criteria that we want, allowing hotels get the labels, are also the same labels that SSTF wants to achieve within their goal.”

The Minister of Tourism, Didier Dogley, said that the agreement is a first of its kind, signed between the tourism department and a not-for-profit organisation within the sector.

“SSTF is an organisation that we consider as serious in its effort so we look forward to their support and working together for the development of tourism locally. There are various projects that we have already started on together, including the Pristine Seychelles Campaign, which was launched just over a year ago,” said Dogley.

The work being done is in line with the United Nations General Assembly’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.