Sustainable tourism: 25 students at ETH Zurich and University of Seychelles present new research

The study was done by three partners, ETH Zurich (University of Zurich), the tourism department and the University of Seychelles. (Seychelles Nation)

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The findings of a recent study on the sustainability of tourism in Seychelles were presented to various entities that work in the sector and certain actions are expected to be taken based on them.  

The study was done by three partners, ETH Zurich (University of Zurich), the tourism department and the University of Seychelles. Twenty-five students doing their master’s degree at the Swiss university made a case study on the impacts, challenges and diversification of tourism in the island nation.  

Speaking to the media, the principal secretary for tourism, Sherin Francis, explained that many of the findings of the study are not shocking but rather validate some of the things that are already known.

“They have pinpointed one or two challenges that we need to focus on, such as how to manage our beaches and also how locals perceive the tourism industry compared to visitors,” she added.  

Francis added that this report has come at a very appropriate moment and complements some of the work that the department is already doing such as putting more control on beaches.

“For us, these findings give more weight to the work we are doing, such as where we are looking at diversifying our products and giving tourists more activities to do, this research will allow us to take more actions in the future,” said the principal secretary.

The topics covered in the research were beach-based tourism, agri-tourism, cultural tourism, the social impact of tourism in the Seychelles, hotels and farmers linkages, terrestrial adventure tourism, and tourism in the Seychelles 2040 assessment tool.

Meanwhile, some of the recommendations presented included the need for effective management of beaches to preserve their natural beauty, understanding the local perception of tourism and preserving the Seychellois Creole identity.

Other recommendations include addressing seasonal overproduction in local agriculture, as well as addressing inefficiencies in resource utilisation to mitigate ecological strain and fostering sustainable growth in the tourism sector.

The report titled “Land use in Seychelles – Rethinking the Sustainability of Tourism” was presented with various sectors including the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association (SHTA), Sustainability for Seychelles (S4S), the University of Seychelles, Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles (CEPS), the Public Health Authority and the departments of Agriculture, Culture and Environment.

This was the fourth in a series of transdisciplinary case studies done in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, in collaboration with ETH Zurich. Previous studies done before were on waste management and transport.