Ms. Simone is the Minister for Tourism in Seychelles, and is also the current Chairman of the Indian Ocean Tourism Organization. Seychelles, where tourism is the mainstay of the economy has 60% of foreign exchange coming through the hospitality industry. The Island Government

has literally fine-tuned their tourism policies to enable tourists from all over the world to visit and relish the fascinating group of coral islands. 

We caught up with Ms. Simone at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, just before her departure to Colombo. 

Her first visit to Kerala coincided with the annual Nishagandhi Festival, and was all praise for tourism officials in Kerala for involving eco-friendly practices, as much as possible at the festival premises. On her deliberations with Kerala Tourism officials, Ms. Simone said that, Seychelles is keen to explore close cooperation between Seychelles and Kerala for promoting the tourism potential of both destinations. One subject of immediate interest to Seychelles is the traditional health care system of Kerala- Ayurveda, which Ms. Simone would love to introduce to the islanders. To the Kerala Government, she also suggested the need for medical assistance to patients from Seychelles, seeking health care in Kerala hospitals. She also emphasized the need for close cooperation among the countries in the Indian Ocean Rim for more eco-friendly and sustainable tourism practices. 

The travel and tourism fraternity of the world needs visionaries like Ms. Simone, to tackle emerging challenges and for the betterment of tourism industry in future.