14 May 2024
The Seychelles and Mauritius stands at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM 2024) was the opportunity for not only catching up and exchanging ideas but also the opportunity to re-connect as was the case at the Mauritius Island Stand when Donald Payen, the President on the Mauritius Tourism Promotional Authority (MTPA) and Dr. Alain St. Ange, the Tourism Consultant met.
Donald Payen of Mauritius and Alain St. Ange of Seychelles have been friends for many years during the time when Payen was at Air Mauritius and St. Ange, on his part, coming from the tourism private sector trade to become the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism. Donald Payen was at Air Mauritius for well over 40 years.
Donald Payen was at ATM with Arvind Bundhun, the CEO of the MTPA of Mauritius and many of their private sector trade members. Oomar Ramtoola, the Emirates Airline Head for Mauritius and Seychelles was also present on the stand and also discussed the tourism and passenger load.
Donald Payen was awarded the British Empire Medal at a special ceremony at Westminster House on August 12, 2022. In the past this seasoned aviation and tourism professional was made a Knight of the National Order of Merit of the French Republic.
On the Seychelles Stand it was the Minister of Foreign Affairs & Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, along with Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary (Tourism Seychelles), and Bernadette Willemin, the island’s Director of Marketing who sat with Alain St. Ange when he stopped at their stand.
During the discussions at both the Mauritius and Seychelles stands at ATM 2024, time was taken to look at tourism as the industry that remains so important for the whole Indian Ocean Region and the Vanilla Islands Group. Minister Radegonde and Alain St. Ange also took the opportunity to walk together to the Egypt Stand to meet the Governor of South Sinai, H. E. Khaled Fouda and H.E. Mrs. Ghada Shalaby, the Vice Minister for Tourism & Antiquities.
