Seychelles Urges Africa to Turn Tourism Talk into Action on Workforce Development
Seychelles has thrown down a bold challenge to the rest of the continent, calling for tourism leaders to shift from endless discussions to concrete delivery on human capital development. Speaking at the opening of the 69th UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa (CAF) meeting at the Kempinski Seychelles Resort, Minister of Tourism and Culture Amanda Bernstein positioned people, not places, as the true competitive edge for African destinations in the years ahead.
The gathering brought ministers, international organisations, industry leaders and delegates from across Africa to the Baie Lazare shoreline, a location rich in symbolism for the archipelago. Bernstein reminded delegates that Seychelles hosted its very first CAF meeting at the same site two decades ago, when it was known as the Plantation Club Hotel. Today operating under the Kempinski brand, the property serves as a living metaphor for how tourism evolves, and how the people behind the industry remain its constant driving force.
A member of UN Tourism since 1991, Seychelles has long branded itself as a values-led destination. Yet Bernstein made it clear that natural beauty and world-class facilities are no longer sufficient in a fiercely competitive global market. "Tourism is our largest economic sector and one of our greatest employers," she told delegates, adding that long-term success now depends on the quality, skills and professionalism of the workforce serving visitors.
This conviction has shaped the country's first-ever Tourism Human Resource Development Strategy for 2026–2029, developed with UN Tourism support and shaped by extensive consultation with industry, educators and government. The strategy rests on five priority pillars: workforce planning and intelligence, education and training, localisation and career progression, leadership development and succession planning, and strategic partnerships. Underpinning it all is the Seychelles Tourism Academy, supported by tourism clubs in schools that introduce hospitality careers to young people early in their education.
Crucially, Bernstein reframed the often sensitive topic of localisation. "Localisation is not about replacing foreign workers," she stressed. "It is about creating the conditions that allow more Seychellois to enter, remain and progress within the tourism industry, particularly into supervisory, management and leadership roles." This message will resonate with tourism authorities across sub-Saharan Africa, where balancing foreign expertise with local advancement remains a persistent policy debate.
She was equally candid about the challenges that persist. Attracting and retaining talent, skills mismatches, limited training infrastructure and misalignment between education systems and industry needs are hurdles Seychelles shares with fellow African destinations. A survey presented to CAF delegates confirmed the continental scale of these issues, making the meeting less of a talk shop and more of a working forum for practical solutions such as competency-based training, public-private partnerships, digital workforce platforms and structured apprenticeships.
Delivering the keynote address, President Herminie anchored tourism in the daily lives of Seychellois communities rather than in abstract statistics. Acknowledging skills gaps and youth disengagement across Africa, he called for cooperation built on practical outcomes. "We must look beyond arrival figures and focus on empowering the workforce that delivers the experience," he urged.
The Secretary-General of UN Tourism, Shaikha Al Nuwais, drove the point home with sobering figures. An estimated 72 million young Africans remain unemployed, a reality tourism has the potential to help reverse if properly harnessed. She outlined three priorities guiding UN Tourism's engagement across the continent: matching skills to real jobs, building digital and artificial intelligence readiness, and transforming how tourism careers are perceived by young people. "Ours must be a sector people choose not out of desperation, but out of aspiration," she said.
For African trade professionals, the message from Mahé is unmistakable. The next competitive frontier is not another beach, safari lodge or heritage site, but the trained, motivated professionals who will make those experiences memorable and turn first-time visitors into lifelong advocates for African tourism.
