ITB Tourism Trade Fair in Berlin is now around the corner and one name that is being spoken in tourism circles is Alain St.Ange
Mr. St.Ange is the former Seychelles Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine who is believed will be delivering a Keynote Address during the 2023 ITB for a body known to have been rallying the trade at this tourism fair for so many years.
eTurbo News contacted Alain St.Ange by telephone to get a brief and an update and his work supporting Tourism in Africa.
eTN: Now that Covid is behind us, it is believed that you will once again be at ITB in Berlin this year.
A. St.Ange: Yes, I can confirm that I will be flying to Berlin to be present at ITB 2023. I am set at this coming ITB to be meeting different Tourism Ministries from the African Continent to discuss a proposition that is now on the table and being proposed by a major Tourism Destination of Africa. In this post Covid relaunch, it is innovation, new vision, and new tools at the disposal of the Tourism Marketing Departments that is needed. Just sitting on one’s laurels and believing in what was working in the past will not work for much longer. Every tourism destination in the whole world is fishing from the same pond for the discerning travelers. Visibility with a new approach is the way forward. This will separate the destinations into groups and some will pop out as clear successes.
eTN: Which countries are you meeting?
A. St.Ange: This I cannot say for now. I am briefed by one country to create a new tourism working framework for Africa by Africa. This I intend to set the ball rolling at this coming ITB in Berlin and then call on the press to inform the tourism source markets accordingly.
eTN: It has been said in different tourism circles that your name as a Tourism Consultant is involved with a major player on mainland Africa. Is it true? And if yes, can we know the country?
A. St.Ange: Yes, I have been contracted by a major tourism destination to work with their Ministry of Tourism for different specific projects. I cannot announce which destination this is. I am sure they will do so soon. The only thing I can say for now is that Africa is on the move and its tourism industry will be moving as well. I travel extensively across Africa and realise that some countries are better prepared than others for the new tourism season. Let us wait and see what comes out in the next couple of weeks.
eTN: Recently you boarded a cruise ship to deliver a lecture as it sailed on to Seychelles. This is not the norm for a former Tourism Minister. How did this come about?
A. St.Ange: Understanding the cruise ship industry is more important today than it has ever been. If my presence on a cruise ship can bring focus on this industry I am happy I boarded the ship. But yes, the cruise ship The World, offered me to board their vessel in the Maldives and cruise with them to Seychelles and to deliver for them a lecture on Seychelles before entering the islands. I met the passengers, guided them on the key USPs (unique selling points) of the islands. I enjoyed the cruise and I really believe that I helped get passengers to disembark and to better appreciate Seychelles. Guest lectures are not new, maybe having a former Tourism Minister as a lecturer on board is new. In Seychelles we see tourism as our bread and butter and who better to sell the islands than a former head of the island’s Ministry of Tourism.
eTN: Why do you say that it is time to better understand the cruise ship industry?
A. St.Ange: The cruise ship business has suffered like every other business in the tourism industry. Many a destination today are debating the importance or viability of receiving cruise ships. This is why it is important to better understand this segment of the tourism business. Destinations or Ports where Cruise Ships Call will always get as much out of cruise ships as they prepare themselves for this business. Apart of port fees, tug costs, fuel, water, and food supply, passengers must be enticed to disembark when the ship docks. This means that the receiving destination must be open and ready for business. The statistics that over 50% of passengers do not get off at Ports must reflect on the need to do more of what I just did on the Ship The World. Sell the destination, go the extra mile in pushing what is not just the ordinary. Propose attractions that will really ‘wow’ the passengers and getting them to book excursions. This leaves money at each port where cruise ships do call. But another big plus often forgotten is the chance to promote the destination to the passengers so they tell their family and friends on their return home about the destination. This is like a tourism fair with a captive market. Tourism Boards must sell their country to the passengers. They are all potential return clients, and they all have family and friends for them to propose the destination to. Every destination must use that opportunity. It cost nothing.
eTN: What is next for you as that respected tourism personality from the African Continent?
A. St.Ange: Over the years I have amassed a wealth of experience in tourism and made a lot of contacts in the world of tourism. Sitting down just because I am not in office would be a waste when I can do so much more. My contract that I just signed will see me calling on many in the field of tourism to join forces to get the ball rolling for the betterment of Africa and the People of the great continent of Africa.
