Members of the Seychelles Hotel Staff Association (SHSA) were briefed on service ethics during a talk delivered Tuesday May 20 by the Director of the U-First Unit of the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, Mr John Stravens.

The SHSA membership, drawn mostly from recent graduates of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre (SHTTC), were told by Mr Stravens that any tourist destination relied on three key elements; the product, the marketing and the people involved, and compared the relationship between these three to a triangle with the people providing the crucial base for the other two.

Mr Stravens explained that a destination could provide superb marketing and a fantastic hotel, but if the staff are not dedicated and enthusiastic then it cannot flourish.

Using another illustration, Mr Stravens told his audience that the tourism industry is like a chain with a large number of links, from booking the holiday in Europe, the flight, going through Seychelles International Airport, the transport from airport to hotel and so on, adding that at each stage the links are held together by the people involved. If they do not give a good service the chain is broken and the holiday is spoilt.

Calling the tourism industry a "human industry", he said that it was for this reason that the U-First committee, with members drawn from the government and the private sector, places such an emphasis on the staff working in the tourist and service industries.

Before Mr Stravens talk, which had been initiated by the Human Resources Division in the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, the SHSA members were addressed by the Chair of the SHSA, Mr Paul Derjacques.

Mr Derjacques told the members of his association that they, "cannot achieve all objectives overnight, but must work together and participate fully in all the association's activities."

While recognising the effort being made by the STMA, Mr Derjacques said that there is still a need to have more qualified and competent staff in our hotels.

Mr Derjacques spoke on the competitiveness of the global travel industry, the war in Iraq and the SARS outbreak and their consequences on travel to Seychelles, but the main thrust of his message was instead at the local level.

He told his audience that "it is essential to treat our work colleagues with respect and dignity and to deliver our job with honesty and discipline." and that "our visitors must feel safe and secure in their rooms, on the beach and be free to move about when and wherever they want to."

After the speech delivered by Mr Stravens the SHSA members were spoken to by Mrs Yvette Antat, the Assistant Director of the U-First Unit, who outlined the workings of the U-First scheme, drawing attention not just to the competition side of the scheme, but also to the importance of the programme in ensuring continued success in the tourism industry.

According to the U-First programme it's aims are five fold; to improve service quality and productivity; to encourage and motivate staff to deliver quality service; to recognise the efforts of staff; to raise the prestige of a career in tourism; and to provide a national benchmark in service excellence.

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