National Show attracts growing number of exhibitors, first Seychelles Boat Show held
Eden Island, Seychelles
One first-time attraction of this year’s expo is a Boat Show being held not far away at the reclaimed land development of Eden Island, displaying a range of sea craft, ranging from small artisanal fishing boats to luxury cruising yachts.
Curious members of the public made use of the free bus services being offered to the boat show to come aboard luxury charter yachts and coastguard vessels, and find out more about the products and services offered by this important part of the Seychelles’ economy.
After touring the Eden Island marina to see the different boats on display, President Michel told journalists that he believed the Seychelles could become a centre for yachting in the Indian Ocean as another facet to the tourism and blue economy sectors.
The President said that the blue economy was not only about fisheries but rather any value that could be derived from the ocean, and said that yachting brought wealth to the country and created employment for Seychellois. “When tourists visit Seychelles and see how we’re offering such facilities, they will return and the tourism sector will progress,” he said.
Private Joel Joseph who works on board the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel ‘Etoile’, one of the patrol boats participating in the boat show, told SNA that they had a lot of people interested in visiting the different compartments of the boat. “Its the first time we are participating in a boat show and the public usually do not have such opportunity to board the patrol boat so it has brought about a lot of interest.”
The Boat Show coincided with the Indian Ocean country’s National Day celebrations. Read more here – Seychelles On The Move
Image courtesy of Patrick Joubert, Seychelles News Agency