The World Bank Group has presented a plan to establish Seychelles as a regional centre of excellence in sustainable tourism, Seychelles News Agency reported on May 14. Zarau Wendeline Kibwe, World Bank Group Executive Director for Seychelles, outlined the proposal during a meeting with President Patrick Herminie at State House, framing the Indian Ocean archipelago as a model from which other countries can learn and a platform through which the World Bank could raise tourism standards across Africa. Statehouse
The meeting was attended by Pierre Laporte, Minister of Finance, and Bertrand Belle, the World Bank’s Lead Advisor for Small States. It covered the existing portfolio and the course of a deepened bilateral relationship.
Kibwe highlighted the potential for farmers to supply visitors with authentic Seychellois produce, deepening the linkages between the tourism economy and the wider agricultural sector.
Given Seychelles’ internationally recognised expertise in sustainable destination management, carrying capacity, greener operations, and resilience planning, President Herminie proposed that the World Bank support structured South-South learning, including peer exchanges, policy clinics, and practical toolkits through which Seychelles could share its experience with other destinations.
The forthcoming disbursement of a $30mn World Bank budget support operation, negotiations for which concluded on February 17, was acknowledged as timely, providing critical fiscal headroom as Seychelles navigates global uncertainty generated by the regional conflict. Since 2020, Seychelles has received five Development Policy Operations from the World Bank totalling $115mn, and the current portfolio stands at approximately $80mn across projects and budget support.
Beyond tourism, the two sides discussed Seychelles’ ambitions across agriculture and fisheries, infrastructure and connectivity, environment and the circular economy, and public finance reform. President Herminie also called for vulnerability to be more meaningfully reflected in eligibility criteria, financing terms, and access to resilience instruments, a position Seychelles has long advanced within international financial institutions. Seychellesnewsagency
“We welcome the Seychelles CCDR as a timely and strategic contribution to our national development agenda,” said Laporte. — State House Seychelles