Local company United Resorts is teaming up with a South African partner to invest in a new tourism development at the Anse Louis site of the Tek Tek Restaurant.

United Resorts, owned by prominent local businessman Joe Albert, is joining forces with the South African hotel group Southern Sun, to redevelop the Tek Tek site  into a 30-villa five-star resort.

Speaking to Tourism Nation on Friday December 12, Mr Albert explained that the preliminary planning stage for the development was almost complete, and would be concluded with a four to five day investors' meeting, to be held in Bangkok early next year.

Following the investor's get together, the proposed luxury tourism development will be presented to the Cabinet in March, from where, if approved, it will be forwarded to the planning authorities.

If successful, the planned development, which Mr Albert said will be shared equally between United Resorts and Southern Sun, would represent the second five-star establishment on Mahé, following last year's opening of the Banyan Tree Resort at Intendance.

The announcement of the Anse Louis development is the second time in as many months that Mr Albert has made the news with a tourism related venture. November saw Mr Albert's tourism portfolio grow when he added the destination management company (dmc) Travel Services Seychelles to his own dmc, Creole Holidays

The investment is Southern Sun's second foray into Seychelles' tourist market, as the company already owns the Paradise Sun at Cote D'Or on Praslin.

Billing itself as the 'Leading hotel group in the southern hemisphere' the Southern Sun company has been in operation for over 30 years and owns over 80 hotels in southern Africa.

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