Seychelles Tourism Academy Lecturers Embark on Maldives Training Programme
VICTORIA, Seychelles — Six lecturers from the Seychelles Tourism Academy will embark on a Maldives training programme at Universal Resorts, departing on January 18 via Air Seychelles through Colombo. The lecturers selected include Elgine Attigan and Sylvianne Bonnelame from Food and Beverage, David Hoareau from Culinary Arts, Fadette Luc from Spa and Beauty Therapy, and Hazel Radegonde from Spa and Beauty Therapy. Minister for Tourism and Culture Amanda Bernstein and principal secretary for Tourism Sherin Francis presented airline tickets to the participants at a send-off ceremony held yesterday at the academy.
This initiative represents a significant investment in Seychelles’ tourism education sector, which is the backbone of the national economy. For the tourism industry, better-trained educators translate directly into higher-quality hospitality services, improved visitor experiences, and enhanced competitiveness in the global tourism market. The programme strengthens the skills of those responsible for training the next generation of tourism professionals who will staff Seychelles’ hotels, resorts, and restaurants.
The Maldives training programme forms part of the academy’s Train-the-Trainers initiative, a key component of STA’s commitment to advancing professional development and strengthening tourism education quality. The training will be purely technical, with each lecturer placed on their respective islands within the resort complex. They will begin with foundational tasks before progressing to advanced levels, gaining exposure to all aspects of their departments including back-office operations. STA director Richard Mathiot emphasised that investing in trainers is vital to improving education quality and ultimately the future of Seychelles’ tourism and hospitality industry.
The Seychelles Tourism Academy maintains longstanding partnerships with international hospitality organisations to enhance its training capabilities. This collaboration with Universal Resorts continues a tradition of cross-border professional development that exposes local educators to global best practices. The Maldives, as a fellow Small Island Developing State with a mature tourism sector, offers valuable insights that are directly applicable to Seychelles’ context. Similar training programmes have previously been conducted with other partner countries.
The lecturers will return enriched with new knowledge, skills, and exposure to international best practices that they will share with students and colleagues. Sylvianne Bonnelame expressed gratitude for the opportunity, noting that hotels have different ways of operating and that staff expect lecturers to pass on all they have learned. The training is funded and supported by Universal Resorts, with STA only facilitating airfare, demonstrating the strong partnership between the public education sector and private industry.
The lecturers are selected based on their departments, with each eventually given the chance to participate in similar programmes.
📷 Image source: Seychelles Tourism Authority — tourism.gov.sc
