The Seychelles Islands has launched the logo for its Sustainable Tourism Label, which is being set up by the Seychelles Tourism Board in collaboration with the GOS-UNDP-GEF Programme Coordination Unit and with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The launch of the logo took place at Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove Hotel, in the presence of ministers, senior government officials, the Chairman and members of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association, members of the GOS-UNDP-GEF Programme Coordination Unit, Seychelles Tourism Board representatives and tourism operators.
The launching ceremony was organized as part of the islands’ celebration of the United Nations World Tourism Day on September 27. 
The Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label logo has been designed by Catherina Bonnelame. She has designed the logo using the iconic giant land tortoise of Seychelles, encircled by three- coloured arrows, blue, green and yellow, which portray the sustainability of islands.
The ‘Sustainable Tourism Label’ or ‘Eco Label’ is an international concept currently being promoted worldwide. It rightly establishes a set of standards to encourage and guide tourism operators to play a vital role in adopting best practices in the operation of their businesses in order to ensure the sustainability of the tourism industry.
The development of the Sustainability Label for Seychelles is in line with a recommendation made in the Seychelles Government’s Vision 21: Tourism Development in Seychelles 2001-2010. A study on certification for tourism operators, in consultation with the industry, recommended the development of such a Sustainability Label on the basis of strict, transparent, fair and externally checked criteria.
The set of criteria, the institutional and implementation structure for the label were finalised in a stakeholder validation workshop in April this year.
The label is inline with the UNWTO’s Secretary-General Taleb Rifai’s call to use the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism to guide tourism developments so that they become “sustainable, ethical and responsible”.
This label is a voluntary initiative that will encourage tourism establishments to recognize the three tiered approach to sustainability, which includes socio-economic values of tourism as well as the environmental conservation principles.
Speaking about the label at the logo launching ceremony, the chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Alain St.Ange echoed the importance for Seychelles tourism industry to adopt the Sustainable Tourism Label.
“This label will be Seychelles’ first ever sustainable tourism certification system to encourage the hotels and other tourism establishments to merge the principles of sustainability into their daily operations,” said Mr St.Ange.
He also called on the hotels and other tourism accommodation in Seychelles to apply for the newly launched label, to establish their commitment to upholding the principles of sustainable tourism, but most importantly, to play their part in safeguarding the islands’ tourism industry for the future generations.
While, the UNDP Programme Manager, Roland Alcindor, addressed the necessity to understand the different perspectives and principles of sustainable tourism.