1. Selvan Pillay – Environment Department
Sustainability in the context of coastal and marine tourism in Seychelles
Selvan Pillay – Environment Department

2. Definition Sustainable tourism can be defined as
“Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities” (UNWTO)

3. Sustainable Tourism
Seychelles recognises the importance of adopting a responsible approach to tourism for the sustainability of its industry, to benefit its populace and future generations of Seychellois.
The Seychelles acknowledges the importance of implementing sustainable best practices in the daily operations of tourism businesses, based on the triple bottom line approach of sustainability:
Economic viability + Socio-cultural integrity + Environmental management

4. Sustainable Tourism hierarchy in Seychelles
1. Tourism chapter in the Environment Management Plan of Seychelles
2. Vision 21: Tourism Development in Seychelles
3. Towards an Ecotourism Strategy for the 21st Century (Sets-21) 2003
4. Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label (SSTL) 2011
5. Tourism chapter in the Seychelles Sustainable Development Strategy (SSDS)
6. Seychelles Tourism Master Plan

5. Vision 21: Tourism Development in Seychelles 2001-2010
Vision 21 was the Government of Seychelles’ comprehensive guide for tourism development, covering the period
The vision stated that “Tourism in Seychelles shall continue to be developed to the highest standards for the optimum social and economic benefit of the Seychellois people while maintaining a commitment to the protection and conservation of the natural environment and biodiversity”

6. Towards an Ecotourism Strategy for the 21st Century (Sets-21)
Towards an Ecotourism Strategy for the 21st Century (Sets-21)was drafted under the guidance of the Ministry of Tourism and Transport in
Sets-21emphasizes that ecotourism is an important niche market “…which offers an opportunity to develop products that can contribute to national, socio-economic and cultural objectives by providing livelihoods for local communities and giving value to the maintenance of local traditions and culture”, and it states that ecotourism can generate revenue for environmental management.

7. The Seychelles has oriented its destination marketing brand from the conventional sun, sea and sand to a unique “Seychelles brand” which is an integrated approach to sustainable tourism management, reflecting the symbiotic relationships which exist between the unspoiled environment and the tourism trade. STB is encouraging proponents of all new tourism projects, small, medium or large to integrate the principles of sustainable tourism in their daily operations and new development.

8. The Seychelles has successfully launched the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label (SSTL) which is the first local certification scheme encouraging the tourism establishments, starting with the accommodation sector to integrate and implement the principles of sustainable tourism into their daily operations. The label is designed to promote sustainable tourism in Seychelles and to protect the environment for future generations.

9. Following the president’s message at the re- launching of tourism in 2010 a number of initiatives have been taken for even greater Seychellois participation in tourism to benefit from the industry and to implement measure for sustainable tourism development. A Tourism Master plan to guide the development of tourism for the next ten years is being prepared

10. A value-chain analysis study has also been prepared as one main initiative amongst many others is to increase Seychellois ownership in tourism and create more employment for the local population. Some tourism establishments have also affirmed their commitment to support the local agricultural industry through their initiative to buy only the local products over imported ones. This is also line with the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for tourism which has been adopted by the Seychelles Tourism Board.

11. What is the SSTL
The SSTL is a sustainable tourism management and certification programme designed specifically for use in Seychelles.
It is voluntary, user friendly and designed to inspire more efficient and sustainable ways of doing business.
It provides a set of standards to guide sustainability improvements in hotels.
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12. The Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label has been developed over a number of years through research, stakeholder discussion and local piloting.
The criteria used in the assessment are of international standard but their development has drawn on local knowledge
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13. The Branding Concept
The Brand name was chosen for its simplicity and clarity of message
‘Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label’
With the Slogan
‘ Safeguarding Seychelles for Tomorrow’ 13

14. The Logo The inspiration for the logo was the
Seychelles Giant Land Tortoise
It is a national icon and is an important part of our biodiversity.
It can be easily identified with locally and internationally

15. Vision and Mission Vision
That every hotel enterprise in Seychelles integrates sustainability practices in their business operations
Mission
To encourage hotel enterprises to mainstream sustainability practices into their business operations to safeguard the biodiversity and culture of Seychelles.
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16. The Label Process The label process consists of 5 steps Communication
Communicate the label message and the benefits
of the certification process through awareness raising
and stakeholders engagement
2. Application
Interested hotels apply to SSTL by or letter to
and attach copy of their internal audit results.
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17. 3. Assessment The application and statement form the hotel is reviewed and if deemed complete an assessor is identified and the assessment date is set with the hotel. 4. Verification Assessment forms are verified for completeness and scoring of each section is reviewed. There are two possible outcomes. The award is Approved or a Pending status is determined.
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18. 5. Award An Award Panel meets at least once monthly to review the recommendations made by the SSTL manager. The Panel confirms the recommendation unless irregularities are identified. A written appeal from the hotel may be made to the SSTL and will be reviewed by the Panel and a reassessment by a different assessor may be requested
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19. Getting Certified The SSTL constitutes of 105 criteria.
There are 3 basic criteria that a hotel must meet to
achieve the Label.
Fulfil all 24 must criteria
Achieve a minimum score for each theme :3 points for small hotels (1- 24rooms ), 4 for medium sized(25 – 51 rooms) and 5 for large (51+ rooms)
Score an additional 6 points in any area
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20. Understanding the criteria
The criteria is divided into 8 themes
Management
This section requires some sustainable documentation that
will ensure the hotel’s sustainability initiatives are
undertaken systematically.
It requires that progress is monitored over time, and
That opportunities for further improvement are
identified.
That the practices are communicated to the staff, guests
and other stakeholders.
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21. 2. Waste Waste has a number of potentially serious environment
impact and risk to health.
The most obvious impact is the waste that is sent to landfill.
On small islands landfill waste toxins can easily leach into the soil
and eventually the sea.
Reducing reusing and recycling waste are effective ways
of cutting business costs.
Waste reduction is a widely understood and visible form
of sustainable practice and presents a good opportunity to foster
support from guests, staff and the community.
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22. 3. Water The broad aim of water related practices is to reduce the amount of fresh water used by hotels. This reduces impact on fresh water supplies as well as the Potential for water pollution. As with waste, the first step is to reduce water use through conservation and rainwater collection and then to explore options for water re-use and recycling.
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23. 4. Energy Energy comprises of up to 50% of a hotel’s utility costs
4. Energy Energy comprises of up to 50% of a hotel’s utility costs. In Seychelles 60% of the total energy consumption is From the tourism industry. Energy reduction practices can consist of ‘management’ practices that change staff and /or guest behaviour in order to reduce energy use. Examples include turning off electrical appliances and light and guests choosing not to have their towels/linen Changed frequently.
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24. 5. Staff Staff and guest-related practices are of significant importance to the sustainability of a hotel and of tourism in Seychelles. The staff criteria aim to recognise fair treatment of staff and staffing opportunities given to local people to reduce staff turnover and encourage loyalty. 6. Conservation Most sustainability practices focus on reducing the negative impact of a business on the environment or the community in which they operate. The criteria under this section reflect that An important part of sustainable tourism is to make a positive contribution to the local community and to local Conservation activities.
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25. 7. Community The criteria under this section encourages hotels to be good corporate citizens and to participate in community projects in order to attain sustainability. Records of community involvement should be kept and shared with guests, staff and other stakeholders
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26. These criteria recognise the importance of
8. Guests
These criteria recognise the importance of
Guest satisfaction to the sustainability of the
business.
Satisfied guests will recommend Seychelles
To their friends and word of mouth is one
of the most effective forms of marketing.
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27. Thank you