Beach parks likely in regional project

Seychelles Nation - 03.03.2005
The designation of public beach “parks” in Seychelles could be one possibility under a regional project catering for sustainable tourism along coastlines.

Environment and tourism officials, together with other stakeholders, met to discuss that idea and the potential for other proposals at the International Conference Centre on Tuesday March 1 in a half-day forum organised for the project.

Funded by the Global Environment Facility, the initiative was approved in 2004 to address the negative impacts of tourism on the coastal and marine environment of Sub Saharan Africa in line with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad). Senegal, Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania are participating in addition to Seychelles.

Frauke Dogley of the ministry for tourism said a national status report on coastal tourism will be submitted to the project’s secretariat following suggestions and submissions from Tuesday’s forum.

Status reports from all the countries would then be presented at a regional workshop, after which certain pilot projects will be facilitated to promote sustainable tourism policies.

“We hope that pilot sites in Seychelles will be selected to get funding,” said Ms Dogley.

The concept of public beach parks is one such pilot project, and has been outlined tentatively as part of a local eco-tourism plan at Anse Royale. Though still at the “brainstorming” phase, the proposed parks could include toilet facilities, barbecue grills and recreational activities designed for public use.

Anse Royale would likely be the first site chosen, but depending on its success more beaches could follow.
Environment officials hope the beach park idea could be a way to solve waste and litter problems at popular beaches while at the same time generating community-based activities toward eco-tourism.

According to Ms Dogley, the beach parks would also be beneficial since most of the suitable beaches for tourism establishments have already been developed or are in the planning stage – and in more recent cases with up-market hotels.

Environment principal secretary Rolph Payet, speaking to officially open the forum, said coastal tourism in Seychelles was “full of twists and turns,” in which the need to give tourists the best possible experience had to be balanced with preserving a fragile coastal environment.

He commented that it was a “constantly uphill battle to convince developers of the need to maintain the integrity of such a dynamic environment,” noting with irony how many developers attempt to take advantage of Seychelles’ beautiful beaches, but do so recklessly.

“Why do they spend a lifetime trying to destroy it, and then break the bank trying to restore it?” he asked.

The regional Nepad project, Mr Payet added, would hopefully continue to foster public-private partnerships in sustainable coastal tourism management and empower local communities through the implementation of the pilot projects.