Sainte Anne Insight #10 – December 2014

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• IN THIS ISSUE • PAGE 2 | COMMUNITY | Training : New partnership with Belgium • PAGE 3 | NEWS | Oman Minister’s visit • PAGE 4 & 5 |PEOPLE | Marcel Antat: water is my business| Raoul René Payet: the quiet strength • PAGE 6 & 7 | GUESTS | Bishop of Dover visits the resort | Meeting Stéphane de Groodt, actor and writer • PAGE 8 | Festival Kreol at the resort• PAGE 9 | EXPOSURE | Visiting the Italian market • PAGE 10 | GREEN CORNER | Light Up Sainte Anne Island • PAGE 11 | AIR NEWS| Improved connectivity between Seychelles and Mauritius • PAGE 12 |We're in the News

Huge success for the «Beachcomber Aventure»The French Sales Challenge has been

a large success since its official launching at the IFTM Top Resa Tourism Trade fair in Paris in October

last. Travel agents from France have been fighting to get into TV host Denis Brogniart’s challenge at Sainte Anne Island in the Seychelles. “The participation has exceeded by far our initial expectations. We believe that this will constitute a major boost to our efforts to increase the resort’s market share in France but it will also help the destination to regain some lost ground on this market,” Norbert Couvreur, the resort’s General Manager, stated to INSIGHT. “This will project the resort and Seychelles in the medias’ limelight for days in France. Many journalists have already expressed their interest in the coverage of this

event. Denis Brogniart himself is a very popular figure in France with his widely followed adventure programme Koh Lanta. Denis will be hosting the challenge event in Seychelles using Sainte Anne Island as his base.”

During the launching on the Seychelles stand at Top Resa, Denis Brogniart and Thierry Graff, the Executive Producer of the TV Programme Koh Lanta, Survivor of France, were present together with representatives of the Seychelles tourism authorities.

When addressing the French press and the tourism industry professionals present at the Seychelles Stand in Paris, Norbert Couvreur stated that he was very happy with this initiative of the Beachcomber Hotels. He thanked Denis Brogniart for accepting to put his name to the challenge that has been motivating travel agents of France to sell Seychelles. “This is a challenge limited to tourism professionals coming to Seychelles and these twelve winners who travel to Seychelles will become true ambassadors of the country. These four nights of adventure will be an experience of a lifetime. As this event will take place in Seychelles, the visibility it will bring to Seychelles cannot be overstated.”

The participants had until the 14th of December to enrol in this Challenge, which will see 10 top sellers of Sainte Anne Island in France and two other selected agents from the draw fly to Seychelles early next year with Denis Brogniart for a four-night stay combining adventure and art of living. This Seychelles challenge episode is being sponsored by Beachcomber Hotels, Sainte Anne Island, PROMOAGV and the Seychelles Tourism Board.

FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER’S DESK

Dear colleagues,

As New Year is approaching, I want to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt greetings for the season

and express my appreciation to you all for the accomplishments and achievements during this year. I thank one and all for your support and dedication.

I am the more so happy that I can deliver this message of good wishes to you in the now much established ‘Sainte Anne Insight’, our much appreciated newsletter.

2014 has seen the resort consolidating its main mission of excellence in service for its thousands of guests. The recognition and awards of TripAdvisor and Holiday Check are but glimpses of the amount of effort we put in our daily work. We shall not fail to pursue in this laudable direction to offer our guests a continued improved product.

We must also thank the collective efforts of our industry partners and we remain committed to working with them in 2015 for even more profitable joint actions.

We have also hosted friends from the community at all levels of the Seychellois society and we have contributed to share our values to our neighbours with passion and friendship. We are part of this nation-wide family and we cherish our role to always support the authorities and our fellow citizens when needed.

Sainte Anne Island has kept pace with its policy to promote environmental values though its development and enhancement projects. We have continued to act responsibly on our lovely island through our decisions and actions.

During this festive season, let me wish all of you a very wonderful and prosperous year ahead and may we all work together to bring more success to our resort.

Norbert Couvreur

Thank you for your dedication

A group of social workers from the Mont Fleuri District were the guests of the resort a few weeks ago. The visitors were accompanied by Begitta Jeannevol, Member of the

National Assembly on a nature trail around the island. “This was a wonderful experience for us as many recalled the time when they were at the National Youth Service (NYS) at Sainte Anne Island. Looking at the historic ruins of the NYS facilities was very emotional.” Mrs Bijoux, a lively 89-year old lady who was in the group, was very happy to be back on the island. “I worked here

some decades ago and I am so overwhelmed to discover the place once more after twenty-five years. I can remember the two old canons very well and I have even done some research on these monuments.” After the 3-hour hike around the island, the group received a warm welcome by the staff members.

Sainte Anne Island will soon welcome students from the Hotel School of Namur in Belgium on internship. An agreement was recently signed between the Seychelles

Tourism Academy (STA) and the Belgian school. The relevant documents were signed by the Seychelles Principal Secretary for Tourism, Anne Lafortune, and Namur Province's Elected Representative responsible for education, Philippe Bultot. Mrs Lafortune said the agreement “opens a new era of

cooperation between Seychelles and Belgium”.

Mr Bultot stated that the hotel school is planning an international culinary competition and that Seychellois chefs will be invited to participate.

Norbert Couvreur, General Manager of Sainte Anne Island, who attended the signature ceremony, was happy to further strengthen the ties between the STA and the resort. “We already host trainees from

China and Reunion Island at the resort. We shall be most happy to add Belgian students to the pool of trainees. We believe in the continuous improvement of service delivery and it is a fact that interaction with foreign students will enhance the level of competence of our local employees. Our partnership with the STA is a long-term project, which is yielding very positive results.”

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COMMUNITY I N S I G H T

«Commit to be fit»Sainte Anne Island offered

its venue and its guidance to a group of Air Seychelles employees recently for a

nature trail. This was part of the Air Seychelles’ initiative to run a campaign to encourage its staff to embrace a healthy lifestyle.

The group was expertly guided through the lush green environment of the resort. Gerard Edmond, the Head of Quality, Safety & Occupational Health of the airline, was grateful to the resort for this trail. “We felt welcome, well taken care of and the customer service was apparent at all times, thumbs up to his team! My colleagues were very happy after the trail as this has given them yet another challenge in our programme. They simply loved it. We are contemplating another trail for a second group by the end of the year if we have the opportunity to do so.”

It is now an established tradition for Sainte Anne Island during the month of October. The resort supports a member of the national golf team of Seychelles to participate in the Inter Island Golf

Competition. This international golf championship was held at Belle Mare Plage Hotel in October.

Sainte Anne Island offered its financial support to assist in funding the trip of the team to Mauritius where players from six Indian Ocean countries met in this major golf tournament. William Weidner, the Director of Golf at the Seychelles Golf Club expressed his gratitude for this support.

“Sainte Anne Island has been our partner for the last two years. We are proud that the resort is now giving a regular support to golf in Seychelles. This is indeed a very laudable initiative.”

Norbert Couvreur, the resort’s General Manager, told INSIGHT that this initiative fits in very well with the overall policy to encourage local talents.

“We have launched the first Sainte Anne Island Open Golf Tournament this year. We even had a French golf pro on this occasion when he initiated pupils from neighbouring schools to the game of golf. We are eager to be a partner of sports activities in Seychelles as and when we can afford to do so.”

The Seychelles team did pretty well at the tournament finishing at an honourable third place.

Tee Off

Down memory lane

Improving service delivery

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NEWSI N S I G H T

Mrs Maitha Saif Majid Al-Mahrouqi, the Under State Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman, and her delegation stayed at Sainte

Anne Island during their mission in Seychelles last October. The Oman Minister was in Seychelles on a

two-day working visit to assess the Memorandum of Understanding signed a couple of years ago and to discuss with her Seychellois counterpart concrete steps of cooperation between the two countries. The resort gratefully organised a dinner for the delegation and representatives of the

Seychelles tourism authorities and organizations. Norbert Couvreur, the resort’s General Manager, said that he was particularly honoured to welcome Mrs Al-Mahrouqi and her delegation at Sainte Anne Island as the Middle East is becoming a vibrant market for Seychelles tourism industry.

Visitors from Oman

Seychelles – The saga of a small nation’s navigation through the cross-currents of a big World is the title of this latest

publication by former President Sir James. R. Mancham. The book of over 400 pages also contains a photo gallery that documents many of the stories told. “I had to write this book,” Sir Mancham says “in the interest of truth and posterity in Seychelles.” Amongst numerous recollections, the author devoted quite a few paragraphs to Sainte Anne Island in his latest book. At page 145, he talks about his childhood memories when he came camping on the island as a boy scout. Sir Mancham also mentions his latest stay at the resort. “Recently my wife Catherine, my son Alexander and his girlfriend Karen spent a wonderful four days on the island as guests of the management of the Sainte Anne Resort and Spa, which is run by the prestigious Beachcomber Group. I must pay tribute to the management of the hotel for the quality of service, food and hospitality, which has earned the resort a good reputation as a five-star establishment.”

Sir James Mancham : still a lot of stories to tell

La Provence, the largely circulated French newspaper, published a full-page report on Seychelles last month.

The carnival and some high-profile resorts featured in the report, amongst which was Sainte Anne Island. The newspaper talks about the attractions of the resort while highlighting the unique atmosphere on the island. La Provence is a daily newspaper with a circulation of 170,000 copies.

Before taking up his new post as the United Nations Executive Secretary for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm

Convention, Dr Rolph Payet had a more important mission to accomplish. He happily married his better half, Elsie Henriette, in a very intimate ceremony at Sainte Anne Island. Dr Payet and the newly married Mrs

Payet invited a few guests only as witnesses to their marital commitment. After the Civil Status ceremony, a cocktail party was held at Le Robinson Restaurant before dinner at Le Mont Fleuri Restaurant. The management and staff of Sainte Anne Island express their wishes of happiness to the couple and success to Dr Payet in his new professional assignment.

Unique atmosphere! A new job and

a happy weddingThe happy

couple with Valerie

Couvreur.


PEOPLE I N S I G H T

Before joining Sainte Anne Island as Assistant Maintenance Manager at the beginning of the year, Raoul René Payet had already travelled extensively abroad both for his work and for his

favourite sport. His calmness hides perfectly his Third Dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate, a style of stand-up, full contact sport, which is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline and hard training.

“It’s now twenty years since I have started this sport. I have participated in many competitions here in Seychelles and overseas, winning quite a few. In the 80s, when I started to make my first steps in this sport, it was primarily to master my emotions and reactions. Since then, I have trained many young people in Seychelles and in other Indian Ocean islands and continue to do so.”

Raoul has now joined his good friend David, who heads his Department. They were both in Israel a few years ago as part of a voluntary mission.

“We went to Haifa in 1999 to work in a community and spent five years there. It was a very enriching experience. It allowed us to blend into another society and know how this country thrives. We learnt a lot through this experience and this still helps me in my present daily life.”

After this long mission in the Middle East, Raoul went to Perth in Australia for some studies and started to work in the refrigeration sector. He then returned to his native Seychelles and started to work on his own.

“Now I have decided to work for the hotel industry. I feel comfortable here at Sainte Anne Island and I have no regrets at all. On the contrary, I feel that I am constantly learning within a very well-organized environment. The challenges are huge in a five-star hotel and we are never short of deadlines!”

Now that Raoul has settled at the resort, he enjoys each day of his work before going home at Saint Louis.

“I must say that I have the freedom to express myself quite well in my job. We have good facilities and we must maintain them at all times. There is no scarcity of jobs here but the team spirit is ever present. It reminds me of the national karate team going for an international competition: always be focused, disciplined and result-oriented.”

Marcel Antat’s life revolves around water, be it the swimming pool or a desalination plant. His passion

and his job are joined together by this precious liquid!

“It’s true, I have been a swimmer and I am now the national team coach. I have also been very much involved in the water treatment or desalination plants as well as in the setting up and maintenance of swimming pools. Water is my business…”

Marcel has a long and enviable career in swimming both as a competitor and as a coach. He now leads others to face international competition.

“I have been competing since 1975. Then I became a coach in 1985 at the National Youth Service and assisted the national team coach. In the 90s, I went to Mauritius and Madagascar to work at national level for the respective national swimming bodies. In 2001, I even made it to the B Team of South Africa in Johannesburg where I had the opportunity to work with Penny Heyns who became a multiple Olympic Gold Medal Winner and a World Record holder.”

Now, in his job as Assistant Maintenance Manager at the Sainte Anne Island Residence at Anse-aux-Pins, Marcel Antat always finds time to look after the young generation.

“I try to accommodate my work with my role as the national team coach. I work from very early in the morning till mid-afternoon. Then, I proceed to a school at Mont Fleuri to give some training before heading towards the swimming pool at Roche Caiman to oversee the national team training. I only take Sunday as a day off.”

Recently, Marcel accompanied his team at the Pan Pacific Games in Nanjing, China. This is one of the many overseas missions

he has to accomplish in his role as the national team coach.

“I must here thank the hotel management for giving me the opportunity to serve my country. The General Manager is very supportive and this encourages me to give my best at work too.”

During this month of December, Marcel has accompanied his team of swimmers to Doha in Qatar for the short course pool FINA World Championship. He often reflects on the future of this sport in Seychelles.

“I believe that we can do a lot better and obtain world-class results if we could have a Sports-Study Program, which would enable our young swimmers to practise their sport and have their academic studies on the same site. This is a project for excellence.”

Marcel always keeps his passion alive and would not swap his jobs and hobby for anything else.

The quiet strength «Water is my business»

DECEMBERDAY NAME DIVISION

1 REMMY JAFFA ANACOURA MAINTENANCE

5 MAXWELL GEORGE DUBEL ROOM SERVICE

5 SHAMIRAH ANACOURA MAIN RESTAURANT

7 ROUSSEL GEORGES ADAM MAINTENANCE

7 YVONNE OGADA FRONT OFFICE

7 IAN VOLCY ADMINISTRATION

10 SHARIF BUIYAN HOUSEKEEPING

11 ROBIN JUNES DUBEL SAINTE ANNE RESIDENCE

11 COLLIN JEAN-PIERRE POUPONNEAU FRONT OFFICE

11 MADELEINE MICHEL ROOM SERVICE

15 VILORSEN VENKATESU MAINTENANCE

15 RAM PARSAD JAISWAR HOUSEKEEPING

15 NOELINE LEON CANTEEN

20 SHIRYN VICTOR MAIN RESTAURANT

23 AHMED GAETAN CUPIDON MAINTENANCE

24 JUDLEY PAUL LABROSSE LABONDANCE

25 GELAGE NOELDAR HOAREAU ADMINISTRATION

29 NICHOLAS THOMAS ASBA LABONDANCE

29 DAVID GAPPY MAINTENANCE

30 LUCY CONFIANCE FRONT OFFICE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR TEAM MEMBERS

www.sa inteanne- island .com

WEEK-END DISCOVERY FOR SEYCHELLES RESIDENTSSCR 10,000 per couple for 2 nights including Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

T H I S O F F E R I S S U B J E C T T O A VA I L A B I L I T YFor reservation and further details please e-mail us on [email protected]

INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKAGE- Delicious buffet at the main restaurant (A la Carte menu available in all restaurants with a supplement)

- Water and land activities including nature treks to explore the island- Access to all the facilities of the kid’s club for children- Free boat shuttle service

N.B. CheCk-in Time AT 2 p.m. & CheCk-ouT Time AT noonChildren sharing parents room (maximum of 2) from 5 to 17 years old: SCR 2,500 per child for the 2 daysChildren under 5 years old stay for freeThe price includes tax

This package

is also available

for

2 consecutive d

ays

during the week


PEOPLE

Greta, tell us about your vast experience in the hotel industry.

I still have some difficulties to believe that I have already spent 18 years in this industry! It’s a long time since I first joined a hotel at Beau-Vallon and at the same time it seems that it was yesterday. Since I was at school at Pointe Larue, I wanted to work in a hotel. At the beginning, when I just got married, my best half did not like it too much, but with time, we found some common grounds where we could lead our family life with me pursuing my career.

How did you join Sainte Anne Island and how has been the journey up to now?

I learnt about a vacancy in the newspaper and, with my job experience, I was recruited at L’Abondance Restaurant. There, I joined a very efficient team and I am still enjoying this atmosphere. We have a no-nonsense attitude towards

the quality of service and we make no concession on that.

Are you still enjoying your work after all these years?

Of course I am! I would be unhappy without it. It is true that I now have two children – a 11-year old son and a 6-year old daughter – and at our home at Perseverance, I must make sure that all is in perfect condition and that our family enjoys a very good environment. But my job still pushes me to new heights. I must tell you that when I am off, I miss the work. I can recall that when I was on maternity leave a few years ago, I wanted to resume duty before the end of the leave period!

What prompts such passion for your work?

I would not be able to do another job… it’s as simple as that. I would not enjoy office work. I take so much pleasure to

meet the guests every day, chat with them and learn about their comments. I cannot describe how pleasant it is to see a regular guest returning after one year and enjoying the facilities of the resort. The fact that I communicate with them brings me all the joy. It gives me all

the courage and desire to go further. I want to master my job even better, acquire more confidence in what I do. I am now learning Spanish after having been able to speak Italian. This is a way for me to gather more self-esteem and to keep the light burning.

Gawtum Oli masters all the art of cocktail preparation behind his bar. The Bar Manager of the resort is a discreet guy coming from lovely Goa in India, a place

epitomized by some great Bollywood films and movie legends. “I love Goa as it is a world-known place and it is as beautiful as any tourist resort on the planet. The beaches always attract many visitors and it is a major tourism destination. It is also true that Goa has been the setting of many Indian films and even foreign ones.”

It is in his hometown Goa that Gawtum studied for his Diploma in hotel operation at the IIAS School of Hotel Management. “I started my work experience at the Marriott Resort and Spa Goa for two and half years and did some other jobs in the hospitality industry.”

Now at the age of 31, Gawtum is living a unique experience in Seychelles where he decided to come and work five years ago. “It was through an agency in Mumbai that I received this offer of employment after an interview with the Human Resource Manager of Sainte Anne Island. It was a major leap forward in

my life as I was going to embark on a new career as an expatriate employee. It was also a change in my lifestyle, leaving my native Goa to come to a similar beautiful site here. Leaving Goa, you cannot get a better place to work, isn’t it?”

He started as a barman and was subsequently promoted as Bar Manager three years ago. “I enjoy working on the island as the environment is so special and the way we operate here is different. I also cherish the fact that I am working with team members coming from so many different countries and backgrounds. I keep discovering so many aspects of cuisine and culture of each nationality. It’s very enriching indeed!”

But Gawtum does not forget Goa and he uses all the communication means to keep in touch with his family. “I must admit that I miss them a lot and all my friends too. But I keep enjoying my stay here in Seychelles and I spend my free time watching movies and playing some indoor games. I always catch up with friends on the social media and I try to do as much reading as I can despite the heavy schedule.”

Elle estime qu’elle a eu beaucoup de chance d’être venue à ce stage aux Seychelles. Marie Lavant en est convaincue et le dit avec un large sourire. « J’ai eu une chance

en or ! Il y avait beaucoup de postulants à la Réunion pour ce stage à Sainte Anne Island. Je suis très heureuse d’avoir été choisie pour être dans ce premier groupe. »

Marie fait partie d’un groupe de stagiaires réunionnais dans le cadre d’un accord de coopération signé entre l’hôtel et les instances du tourisme de la Réunion et des Seychelles.

«Avec cette année de stage ici à Sainte Anne Island, je vais avoir une bonne expérience de travail dans un hôtel haut de gamme. Cela va m’aider énormément dans mes projets d’études après. Je compte m’engager pour un diplôme en tourisme et cette opportunité de venir en stage aux Seychelles est très appropriée. » Elle a vite compris que ce séjour dans notre archipel allait lui apporter beaucoup et elle travaille dur pour arriver à atteindre son objectif. «J’ai envie de vivre une expérience unique et d’acquérir une bonne connaissance professionnelle. Ici, à Sainte Anne Island, il y tout pour que je puisse atteindre cet objectif.»

Cette jeune stagiaire de 20 ans prend plaisir dans ses fonctions de serveuse et s’est vite adaptée à sa nouvelle vie.

«Oui je me suis bien adaptée. Il faut dire qu’au début ce n’est pas trop évident car changer de pays et surtout aller à l’étranger pour travailler n’est pas toujours facile. Mais j’ai vite fait de prendre mes marques et petit à petit je me suis sentie à l’aise.»

Marie a quitté son île natale pendant quelques mois pour découvrir un autre monde, des gens différents. «C’est tout simplement magnifique ici et j’adore!»

I N S I G H T

«No concession on quality service!» «Vivre une expérience unique»

From Goa to Sainte Anne

INSIGHT met Supervisor at L’Abondance Restaurant, Greta Philoë, who has a long experience in the hospitality industry. With her usual charming attitude, she talked about her work experience, her love for excellence and her willingness to progress.

Wishing all our team members and their families

a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year


GUESTS I N S I G H T

The Jafra Cosmetic Group from Germany organized a four-day incentive trip to

Sainte Anne Island recently. This skin care product company treated their best-performing agents, who made the most out of this group holiday. Those beauticians of the skin were quickly impressed by the natural beauty of the resort and its surroundings.

Joyeuses réunions

«We love the island lifestyle»

«La réalité bien mieux que les photos !»

«You are blessed with a beautiful country»

Des adolescentes heureuses qui font le tour de l’hôtel, les unes racontant des anciennes histoires de la cour de recréation, les autres guidant leurs amies dans une visite complète des lieux ou encore un bon repas agrémenté de rires. C’est dans cette atmosphère que

Cheyenne et Sherydane, les deux enfants de Norbert et Valérie Couvreur, ont accueilli leurs amies à Sainte Anne Island. Elles viennent de l’île Maurice et de France. Cette relation amicale et conviviale est restée intacte malgré la distance qui les sépare maintenant. Les amies mauriciennes et françaises étaient émerveillées par cet accueil chaleureux mais aussi par la splendeur des lieux. C’était que du bonheur pour la petite bande durant ces quelques jours!

Lima Calbio, who has electrified the crowd during the last editions of the Carnaval International de Victoria, returned to Seychelles a few weeks ago for a much

deserved holiday. This multi-talented singer and entertainer from Trinidad and Tobago also led dancers and singers at the resort on a special carnival night this year. During her holiday, she was accompanied by her daughter and both appreciated the calmness and serenity of the environment. During the past years, Lima made foray into Seychelles where she has gained numerous new fans and established herself as a staple during their annual carnival where she is known as the “Carnival Queen”.

Vers la fin de 2013, INSIGHT avait rencontré Lionel et Marie Georges ainsi que toute la famille au bord de la piscine de la villa royale à

Sainte Anne Island. Depuis, Lionel et Marie ont décidé d’élire domicile pour une bonne partie de l’année à Maurice où il travaille tout en profitant du farniente. C’était une occasion pour Norbert Couvreur de les visiter à Grand-Baie récemment lors de son déplacement pour le Sales Meeting à l’hôtel Trou-aux-Biches. Lionel et Marie ont tenu à envoyer un bonjour chaleureux à tout le personnel de Sainte Anne Island et ils comptent bien y venir plus souvent étant à proximité dans l’océan Indien.

INSIGHT a croisé Cécile et Laurent alors que ce couple faisait route vers les salons de SPA après une journée

passée au soleil. Ça tombe bien car Laurent Boisdanghien est lui-même masseur-kiné mais, pour une fois, il ne travaille pas ! Il savoure ce moment avec plaisir.

« On a besoin d’un vrai moment de détente durant ces vacances. Après tout, c’est notre voyage de noces et on a le droit de se payer de vrais petits plaisirs, n’est-ce pas! »

Cécile et Laurent arrive de la région lyonnaise en France et se sont promis de venir aux Seychelles depuis quelque temps. Leur voyage de noces est arrivé juste à temps pour les diriger vers leur destination de rêve, nous dit Cécile.

« Laurent voulait venir aux Seychelles et on est parti voir notre agence de voyages qui nous a recommandé Sainte Anne Island. Il faut dire que le choix a été facile. On avait déjà entendu parler de la destination et on a donc consulté Internet pour une visite virtuelle de l’hôtel. On doit avouer que la réalité est bien plus ravissante que les photos! »

Le couple Boisdanghien a été tellement envoûté par l’océan Indien qu’il compte prochainement prendre une très importante décision dans sa nouvelle vie.

« On a la ferme intention de quitter la métropole et de venir nous installer et travailler à l’île de Réunion. On aime la vie dans les îles et on sera plus proche des Seychelles. On veut y revenir et surtout dans cet hôtel. Le service est impeccable, la cuisine nous fait beaucoup plaisir, l’hôtel est très bien situé. En habitant la Réunion, on aura l’occasion d’y revenir bien plus souvent. »

Sainte Anne Island recently hosted the Right Reverend Trevor Willmott, Bishop of Dover and his wife Margaret.

The Bishop, who also oversees the Diocese of Canterbury, was in Seychelles as part of a visit to the Anglican Church in the Indian Ocean.

During his stay at Sainte Anne Island, Bishop Willmott and his wife appreciated the traditional Seychellois hospitality. “The thing that I will always remember is the warm welcome we received here and the generosity of the hotel personnel. This sense of service and caring made us feel so much at home.”

Bishop Willmott was on his first visit to Seychelles after a trip to Mauritius and Madagascar. “In fact it’s the first time that we come here and surely it will not be the last. We wanted to share the life of the Anglican Church in this part of the world. I must commend the good work of Bishop Wong in Seychelles. He

and his wife have already drafted a list of things to do and places to visit for our next visit here. You are blessed with a country full of simplicity, beauty and some glorious sunshine. It’s a memorable experience.”

A typical Italian family enjoying the island lifestyle, the Volpe were fascinated by their stay at the resort some weeks ago. Vincenzo Volpe was accompanied by wife Patrizia, daughter Virginia and sons Niccolo and Filippo. The whole family fell in love with

the marine park around Sainte Anne Island so much so that they went on snorkelling trips several times during their stay. "We always wanted to see the immaculate state of the seabed and this was a tremendous treat for us", Vincenzo told INSIGHT. The Volpe family quickly adapted to the island rhythm and were even envisaging buying a house at Eden Island. Welcome to Paradise!

Back to Seychelles

Retrouvailles à l'île Maurice

Homme de télévision, acteur de cinéma et maintenant écrivain, vous n’arrêtez pas…

Oui, je vis ma passion depuis que je suis gosse. Pour découvrir le monde, il faut commencer par se découvrir soi-même. Je me suis levé sur ma chaise pour aller au bout de mes rêves. J’ai eu de la chance de travailler comme chroniqueur dans des émissions grand public sur Canal Plus. Maintenant je suis sur plusieurs tournages et projets de films. Je compte même faire le métier de réalisateur bientôt. Je ne m’arrête pas. J’ai écrit mon deuxième livre qui vient d’être publié.

Vous aviez ce rêve de comédien depuis que vous êtes enfant ?

Quand j’avais quinze ans, je disais à mon père que je voulais devenir comédien et pilote de course. Ce n’était pas qu’un rêve, je voulais vraiment faire ces métiers et d’une certaine façon, j’ai réalisé mes rêves. D’abord en tant que pilote de course. J’étais toujours fasciné par le panache des coureurs de Formule Un. Cela m’a confirmé dans mes convictions. J’ai pris des cours de pilotage et j’ai ensuite fait toutes les filières en monoplace : Formule Renault, Formule 3 et 3000. J’ai remporté quelques courses et j’ai couru pour les grandes marques et j’ai ainsi gagné ma vie pendant quelques années. Comme je faisais aussi de la comédie et de l’improvisation, j’ai basculé dans l’autre univers il y a quelques années à peine. D’abord en tant que chroniqueur à Canal Plus et j’ai enchaîné au cinéma. D’ailleurs, ce séjour à Sainte Anne Island m’a permis d’apprendre mon texte pour un nouveau film que je vais tourner bientôt.

Justement comment a été votre séjour chez nous ?

C’était une formidable découverte ! C’est la première fois que je viens ici et j’ai découvert un lieu comme sur des cartes postales, c’est paradisiaque. Le contraste entre la montagne et la mer, le sable qui ressemble à la farine – j’ai l’impression d’être dans un film. Et on a été très bien reçu ici. Ce n’est pas pour être complaisant. Le personnel est très souriant, serviable et tout le monde essaie de faire le maximum pour nous. J’ai la plage comme jardin et la mer comme univers. Pour couronner le tout, on mange très bien, on déguste les couleurs et les saveurs locales. Quand je suis arrivé sur l’île, il m’a fallu toute une journée pour vraiment «atterrir», pour m’incruster dans cet environnement sublime.


GUESTSI N S I G H T

Stéphane De Groodt : « C’est une formidable découverte ! »

Quand Philippe et Françoise Guillemard ont embarqué sur l’hélicoptère de Zilair en ce vendredi matin, c’était l’aboutissement d’un autre rêve : leur

baptême de l’air, qui plus est, aux Seychelles! Munis de leurs harnais de sécurité, le couple venu de Nevers en France était parti pour une savoureuse aventure suspendus dans l’air. Philippe en est sorti joyeux comme un gosse. « J’ai fait au moins trois cents photos, on ne peut pas se permettre de rater ça, il faut à tout prix préserver ces images. Le pilote était très professionnel et les paysages colorés. Nous avons découvert la terre et la mer à Mahé, Praslin et La Digue. On ne pouvait rêver mieux. »

Françoise était encore sous le charme quand elle nous a raconté comment elle avait atterri aux Seychelles pour la première fois en 2009. Un vrai concours de circonstances ! « On devait partir en Guadeloupe pour les vacances. Mais des émeutes avaient éclaté là-bas et on a annulé le voyage le jour même du départ. C’est là qu’on a eu de la chance. Philippe a négocié ferme avec le tour opérateur pour un changement vers les Seychelles. »

Le couple Guimard avait déjà visité Maurice et La Réunion avant de venir aux Seychelles et, lors de leur deuxième visite dans l’archipel récemment, ils sont convaincus qu’ils ont découvert la destination de leur rêve. « Philippe a voulu me faire une surprise lors de ce dernier voyage et je peux dire qu’il a réussi. Quelque temps avant notre départ, il m’avait demandé où je voulais aller en vacances. Je ne savais pas quoi répondre. Entre-temps, il avait tout préparé et je n’ai découvert la destination que lorsqu’il a fallu mettre les adresses sur les valises! »

Ils se retrouvent ainsi à Sainte Anne Resort pour un vrai dépaysement. « C’est encore mieux la deuxième fois. On a mieux apprécié le calme et la discrétion des lieux, » nous dit Philippe. « On se sent vraiment coupé du monde, c’est une autre dimension. On est tout le temps en vêtements légers, on passe notre temps à admirer le jardin et la forêt tout autour. C’est dommage que tout ça a une fin! »

Sébastien Blanco, the son of the former world famous rugbyman Serge Blanco, spent a few days at the resort with his family. Apart from enjoying all the

facilities, Sébastien and his wife had some initiation to five-star cooking. He noted the good advice of Executive Chef Sanjesh and Chef Steven while they prepared a succulent Creole menu. He spent much time putting some questions on the ingredients and tasting… There is no doubt that he will treat his family to some of his newly-acquired culinary skills when he is back home in Mauritius where he now resides.

Dirk and Sibylle, who live in Berlin, enjoyed the atmosphere at the resort during their recent stay. They were very happy to have made the

choice of spending their holidays here.

“This is our fourth visit in the Indian Ocean and our first in Seychelles. We have already been to

Mauritius and the Maldives previously, but here it is so special. We believe Sainte Anne Island adds

to that wow factor. Here it is so secluded, a world apart and you do not want to go elsewhere in the country,” Sibylle says.

Dirk was quick to add: “It is the serenity of the place that is thrilling and even during the rainy days we had a good time! The beaches are gorgeous, but it’s the people that make the difference on the resort. We like to meet people wherever we spend our holidays and interacting with the locals here has been a particular pleasure.”

Depuis quelques années, tous les membres de la famille Marquestaut ont élu domicile à Sainte Anne Island pour leurs

vacances. La maman d’abord qui avait séjourné à l’hôtel au début de l’année. Puis les sœurs qui avaient tant aimé leurs jours de repos et plus récemment c’est Pierre le fils qui n’a pas voulu rater ces vacances avec sa famille. «C’est une relation particulière que nous avons tous dans la famille avec cet hôtel et cette île», avoue Pierre. « C’est vrai aussi que Norbert et Val comptent beaucoup dans cette attirance vers Sainte Anne Island. Et avec une destination qui fait rêver tout le monde en Europe, la combinaison est idéale !»

Pierre et Brigitte et leurs trois enfants Léa, Alice et Violette sont toujours heureux d’être à Sainte Anne Island. «Violette ne cesse de parler de cet hôtel quand on est en France à la maison. Tous les jours elle a une histoire à nous raconter où elle fait allusion à ce lieu qui est magique pour elle, elle se régale ici !» nous raconte Brigitte.

Pour cette famille venue de Carcassonne, le changement de style de vie est la principale raison de leur visite régulière à Sainte Anne Island. Pierre est certain d’avoir découvert un endroit idéal pour ses vacances. « Quand vous faites une belle découverte, vous ne voulez pas la perdre. Pour nous, c’est idéal. On a la sécurité, les beaux paysages avec une nature luxuriante, le soleil. Vous savez, ici on sent la chaleur de l’accueil. On ne sent pas d’agressivité comme dans certaines destinations touristiques des départements outre-mer français. Il y a la douceur de vivre sans aucun souci. Au fait c’est zéro stress. »

Les Marquestaut aiment aussi aller se balader en bateau avec la traversée vers Praslin et La Digue. Pour eux, ces vacances dans l’océan Indien sont un bol d’air frais. «L’océan Indien, c’est particulier. Il n’y a pas trop de décalage horaire, il y a un accès facile en aérien et on parle le français partout. C’est pourquoi qu’à chaque fois que nous rentrons en France, nous ne cessons de raconter les plaisirs de cette destination haut de gamme à nos amis, histoire de les convaincre à venir goûter à ce bonheur.»

Des images à préserver…

On the grill!

«We like meeting people»

Une histoire de famille…

INSIGHT a rencontré Stéphane De Groodt, comédien et homme de télévision qui connait un très grand succès actuellement en Europe. Il a travaillé à Canal Plus dans des émissions à forte audience, a joué dans des films à succès et il en est à son deuxième livre. Il est parti ravi de son séjour à Sainte Anne Island et il nous a livré ses impressions.


I N S I G H T

Sainte Anne Island celebrates the Kreol Festival

EVENT

The resort participated actively in the last Kreol Festival in Seychelles by involving its guests and its team members in some dedicated events.

The guests were invited to a special ‘Kreol Festival’ dinner at Le Robinson restaurant

during this festive week in October where they discovered some typical Creole food. This Creole night also offered the traditional ‘moutya’

with dancers and musicians performing to the rhythm of drums much to the guests’ delight.

The team members were also treated to a Creole lunch during the week at Pti Pimen restaurant where they could share the enjoyable atmosphere and decors of the festival.

On the closing day of the Kreol Festival, Sainte Anne Island gratefully offered its staff residence at ex-Reef Hotel at Anse-aux-Pins to the organizers

to host the very popular Bal Asosye (big Creole dance). More than 900 revellers from all parts of the country gathered and danced all night long until early morning.

Festival Kreol remains the event that rallies the Creole population from around the world to come together once a year to mark World Creole Day. Participants came from Seychelles, Mauritius and Rodrigues, La Réunion and from the Caribbean Islands to celebrate their attachment to the Creole culture.

TripAdvisor.com honoured the resort with the ‘Certificate of Excellence 2014’. This award comes together with recognition from Holiday Check, which tagged its 2014 Quality Certificate to the resort.

More recognitions and quality labels for Sainte Anne Island

Promotion offensiveon the French market

IFTM Top Resa Tourism Trade Fair

Sainte Anne Island participated in the recent campaign by Seychelles to claim back its fair share of the French market. Norbert Couvreur joined the

comprehensive delegation to Paris. “This year's Top Resa was a timely opportunity to boost up arrival figures from France,” Norbert Couvreur says. “We have the right tools to reverse the situation very quickly and we have started this turnaround in Paris with the help of our trade partners. Beachcomber Hotels is actively participating in this operation as shown by the launching of the Sales Challenge with Denis Brogniart.”

The offensive on the French market started in September immediately after visitor arrival figures from France showed a reduction on a year to-date basis when compared to the same period in 2013. A one-day industry meeting was held in Seychelles where all stakeholders discussed about ways and means to redress the situation.

In September, Top Resa in Paris was the perfect tourism trade fair for Seychelles to make its case and work to regain its usual share of the French tourism market. The Seychelles authorities and Air Seychelles used the Paris fair as a springboard with all the main players on the market and reinforce the Seychelles brand as the choice destination in the Indian Ocean. Air Seychelles and the Seychelles Tourism Board held two separate workshops to address all the main issues pertaining to the destination. Sainte Anne Island was represented by its General Manager in these meetings and workshops.

“We made our point in front of the French tour operators and other tourism professionals. I believe this is the appropriate action that we must take in order to boost up this market,” Norbert Couvreur stated. This approach as a collective unit paid dividends as all the interest of the stakeholders grew when they were shown the diversity of the product.


EXPOSUREI N S I G H T

GROUP NEWS

Elle était une des chevilles ouvrières du service commercial au siège social et elle a tiré sa révérence lors du dernier ‘Sales Meeting’ du groupe Beachcomber, qui s’est

tenue au mois d’octobre à l’hôtel Trou-aux-Biches à Maurice.

Josiane s’en va sous les ovations de tous ses collègues après trois décennies de travail bien fait. Un bel hommage lui a été rendu lors de cette réunion où tous les participants lui ont fait une standing ovation. Elle s’en va avec des fleurs et aussi un sac de golf car Josiane va souvent occuper son temps libre sur les greens.

La direction et tout le personnel de Sainte Anne Island lui envoient leurs vœux de bonheur.

Bienvenue à Guillaume Allag, le nouveau directeur commercial de Beachcomber Tours. Il dirigera une équipe d’une douzaine de collaborateurs pour mettre

en œuvre la politique commerciale et marketing de la société basée a Paris.

Professionnel du tourisme depuis 15 ans, Guillaume Allag a travaillé chez plusieurs tours opérateurs généralistes ou spécialistes comme Nouvelles Frontières, Fram et Jet Tours/Thomas Cook où il fut détaché pendant deux ans auprès d’Austral Lagons pour commercialiser les destinations Seychelles et Polynésie dans le réseau Thomas Cook. Depuis trois ans, il s’est consacré à la création, au développement et à la direction du département e-commerce «voyages» d’une entreprise américaine.

Sainte Anne Island lui souhaite une bonne suite de carrière et espère l’accueillir prochainement pour un copieux déjeuner de travail, les pieds dans le sable au restaurant Le Robinson !

The newly appointed Marketing Manager for Nordic countries, Andreas L’Estrade, and his assistant, Alexander Morrone, visited Sainte Anne Island for the first time

a few weeks ago. This was an information tour to discover the product as well as the country. After enjoying the facilities at the resort, Andreas and Alexander went on a tour to Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. They are now better equipped to market the resort in their captive markets.

Le directeur général de Sainte Anne Island, Norbert Couvreur, avait rejoint ses collègues du Groupe Beachcomber au mois d’octobre pour participer à la Sales Meeting.

C’est à l’hôtel Trou-aux-Biches à l’île Maurice que le directeur commercial du groupe, Robert De Spéville, avait réuni tous les directeurs d’hôtels, les responsables des bureaux à travers le monde ainsi que tous les commerciaux. Une rencontre qui a défini dans les meilleures conditions toutes les options commerciales du groupe pour les mois à venir. Les participants n’ont perdu aucun instant de ces jours de réunion, alternant séances plénières, déjeuners et dîners de travail.

Visiting the Italian marketAs one of its leading markets, Italy weighs

much in the occupancy rate of Sainte Anne Island. The regular visits from travel professionals and the Italy Beachcomber

team to the resort bring continuous results all year long. But a frequent visit of the market itself always completes the marketing actions. This is what Kervyn Rayeroux did recently by attending the TTG Incontri tourism fair in Italy. The resort’s Resident Manager had a heavy schedule during a week trying to meet as many trade partners as possible.

He started with a visit at the Beachcomber Italy office in Bergamo where he met the entire team led by Sheila. He explained and discussed the innovations and changes brought at Sainte Anne

Island at the end of this year. On the day following his arrival, he joined the whole team and made the four-hour trip to Rimini to help in the preparation of the Beachcomber stand at the TTG Incontri fair. He was joined by the Italian marketing team to discuss the actions for the months to come. In the evening, the Beachcomber team from Mauritius joined the group. Patrice Clozier, Rico Paoletti and Clothilde Lefébure were all there to support the team on the stand. During the fair, working sessions were ongoing with all the travel partners. In the evening of the first day of the fair, more than a hundred tourism professionals were invited to a working dinner at Lungomare restaurant and fifty more were convened to another meeting on the other day.

Josiane Lenferna-Mayer Un départ sous les ovations

Bienvenue à Guillaume Allag

Welcoming Andréas and Alexander


I N S I G H T

The jetties at the resort and at the Mahe Gateway have been refurbished recently. This will allow better berthing for the boat shuttles with improved comfort for the guests.EYESORE | NICESORE

Parlez-nous de votre mission à Sainte Anne Island.

D'un point de vue scientifique, je viens collecter des données précises concernant la population, la saison et les lieux de ponte des tortues imbriquées (et plus particulièrement des tortues vertes). Par ma présence sur les plages, je dissuade aussi les braconniers qui sont tentés de sévir au sein du parc marin lors de la montée des tortues pour la ponte sur les plages. Enfin, je participe à l'écotourisme sur Sainte Anne Island en accompagnant de temps en temps des clients pour voir les tortues sans les déranger durant leur ponte. Ma mission dure quatre mois, du 15 octobre au 15 février, soit l'essentiel de la période de ponte. Je visite chaque jour les plages aux heures de marées hautes durant lesquelles les tortues marines viennent pondre.

Quels sont les points particuliers d’intérêt pour vous?

J'aime voyager et je m'intéresse particulièrement à la protection des espèces et de l'environnement. Participer activement à la préservation de ces tortues marines aux Seychelles, des espèces emblématiques et menacées d'extinction, constitue donc pour moi une très belle opportunité.

Quelles études poursuivez-vous en France?

Je suis étudiant ingénieur agronome, à Montpellier SupAgro. Je suis actuellement en 'césure', une année durant laquelle nous avons la possibilité d'effectuer des stages, avant notre dernière année de spécialisation.

Comment avez-vous choisi ou été choisi pour venir à Sainte Anne?

J'étais à la recherche d'un stage à l'étranger sur la conservation des espèces. Mes maîtres de stage, Dr Jeanne Mortimer et Dr Gérard Rocamora (ancien étudiant de Montpellier SupAgro), ont diffusé l'offre aux étudiants de ma promotion.

Comment vous habituez-vous au mode de vie aux Seychelles ?

C'est ma première visite aux Seychelles. J'apprécie beaucoup ce pays pour sa faune, sa flore et son paysage magnifique et dépaysant, ainsi que pour son multiculturalisme. Je loge avec le personnel de l'hôtel, qui comprend également d'autres étudiants étrangers dans ma situation et avec qui il est très intéressant d'échanger.

Tout comme Maelle Chanut l’année dernière, Sainte Anne Island accueille un autre étudiant français cette année. Louis McLeod vient poursuivre le travail de Maelle sur les tortues. INSIGHT l’a rencontré sur la plage d’Anse Manon.

Light Up Sainte Anne Island

Toujours protéger les tortues

The gardens of the resort have been graced with some beautiful lights. This is part of a comprehensive

plan to improve the lighting around the resort’s property and particularly its rich green flora. These new installations have given their true value to the green surroundings at night and created a unique ambience for the guests and the team members on a starry-night stroll around.

“The project is being done in phases,” David Gappy, the Maintenance Manager told INSIGHT. “First, we started by a test in May when we installed some LED floodlights with the help of the System Building company just to see how it would improve the ambience. We then found that many areas also required new wiring and replacement in key areas. In the second phase, we imported a consignment of lights and the resort’s maintenance team installed the lights all around the gardens.”

The electrical works also helped Sainte Anne Island to pursue its continuous policy in favour of the environment. Actually, the new

installations do not only give a unique cachet to the surroundings but they also help to reduce the electricity consumption as the new LED lights require much less power.


I N S I G H T

Histoire de Sainte Anne

1993

1997

Inauguration du Quartier Général des Rangers du “Ste Anne National Marine Park”. Le complexe eut quelques nouveaux bureaux, mais en grande majorité, ce furent les anciens bâtiments du “N.Y.S” qui furent rénovés.

Cette nouvelle entité fut utilisée afin de former localement les « Park Rangers ».

Cette formation était faite en collaboration avec l’U.S Peace Corps, l’International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP) et le Darell Institute of Conservation. L’objectif était de former au moins trente “Park Rangers” chaque année.

L’île devint le bureau central du “Regional Coordinating Unit (R.C.U)” du Programe des Mers Australes d’Afrique. Ce projet, parrainé par le Programme Environnemental des Nations Unies (U.N.E.P), fut mis en place afin de coordonner toutes les actions relatives à la protection de l’environnement marin.

Twice daily connection between Seychelles and Dubai

Improved connectivity between Seychelles and Mauritius

Increased activity at the airport

Emirates Airlines resumed twice daily flights to Seychelles at the end of October increasing its services to the Indian Ocean archipelago from 12 to 14 flights per week.

The two additional flights will be on Tuesday and Thursday evenings meaning the Dubai-based airline now has a morning and evening flight to Seychelles every day of the week. In a press statement, Emirates Airlines says the two additional frequencies will be serviced by an Airbus A340-500 with 12 seats in First Class, 42 in Business Class and 204 in Economy Class.

The Minister of Tourism and Culture, Alain St Ange has welcomed Emirates' decision to have 14 weekly flights between Dubai and Seychelles. «This double daily service will increase our connectivity to the world and will provide a needed boost to the tourism industry of our islands. We take this opportunity to thank Emirates for their belief in Seychelles as a serious tourism destination and one determined to work with its partners to further develop the island's tourism industry».

A Seychelles’ delegation led by the chief executive officer of SCAA, Gilbert Faure, met with representatives of the Mauritian government last week

to revise the terms and conditions of the air service agreement that was signed back in April 1997, a press release from SCAA says.

Among the topics raised was the flexibility for the operations of code share flights by Air

Seychelles and Air Mauritius. According to the press release, it is expected that more than 6,000 tourists a year may combine Mauritius and Seychelles for their holidays. More than 11,000 Seychellois travel to Mauritius each year, primarily for shopping purposes. The two parties agreed to meet in the near future to review the conditions of the agreement, with the aim of facilitating the growth and development of the air services.

The Seychelles airport has been busier in 2014 as 293,000 passengers are expected to disembark in Seychelles by the end of this year. This will

represent a 3%-5% increase compared to last year’s 284,600 recorded arrivals.

This increase is the result of the several agreements, which have been signed between the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) and its counterparts in several other countries. Most airlines currently flying to and from Seychelles are expected to increase their flights during the winter season, which started on October 26 and will end in March 2015.

This is also due to the national airline’s recent announcement that it is introducing three new exciting destinations - Mumbai, Dar Es Salaam and Antananarivo.

Emirates Airlines and Mihin Lanka have also stated that they will be flying more frequently to Seychelles during the winter season. Mihin Lanka introduced an additional flight in November which brings them up to three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Other airlines like Condor Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Austral and Kenya Airways will maintain their usual schedule. The busiest period during the winter schedule will be on Saturdays with four flights in the morning and four in the afternoon.

I N S I G H T

SEYCHELLES TIDES - JANUARY 2015

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

HOSPITAL

248-4388000

POLICE

248-4288000

RISK & DISASTER

4324646

FIRE BRIGADE /

POLICE

999

AMBULANCE

151

Sudoku

La grille est composée de neuf colonnes et de neuf lignes. Elle est aussi divisée en groupes de neuf boîtes, résultant en un total de neuf blocs. Chacun de ces neuf blocs doit contenir les chiffres de 1 à 9. C’est là le problème : aucune ligne ni aucune colonne ne peut avoir le même chiffre. Ainsi, le but du jeu est de placer les chiffres dans les boîtes, sans qu’ils soient répétés ni dans les lignes ni dans les colonnes.

7 9 4 3 1 82 5 8 4

3 1 61 4 5

2 1 7 52 3 7

1 2 73 9 6 8

5 2 3 1 4 9


Documents

Sainte Anne Insight #10 – December 2014