Research

Something about our study.

Behind the scenes of sustainability.

Tourism has grown rapidly since the international airport opened in Mahé in the seventies. A lot of businesses have been launched and while speaking to the locals there is a lot of disappointment in this situation. Foreign investments and all-inclusive hotels are taking over the beaches. Tourism business owners struggle to survive and want even more tourists to arrive. There is a huge amount of accessible beds, probably more than ever needed so no wonder why there is a big competition of the tourists. How sustainable are the hotels in terms of environmentally, socially or economically impacts? We will be working with the Seychelles Tourism Board, in the sector of sustainability. Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label (SSTL) is working to certify all hotels in the Seychelles, we will spend our weeks in this department and conduct interviews with non-certified hotels but also evaluate the already certified hotels. 

Time flies! We´ve been here 3 weeks now…been preparing, reading strategy documents, books and creating interview questions. This week we have our first interviews. Feels great to get that part started! 

This weekend we rented a car and drove around the whole island of Mahé. 3 days of pristine beaches, some unattractive all-inclusive hotels..yes they do exist here as well. It´s been lovely, great creol food, snorkelling, left hand side driving. I will post some pics and write more about the fab easter weekend soon :)

Puss och Kram

From paradise with Love

Fascinated by the water for being sooo warm and crystal clear (supposed to be 29 degrees) compared to Cape Town…small school kids shouting we looove u and looking at us as very exotic. Huge twin sized coconuts, creole food, happy smiling people, natural beuty, pristine beaches. Humid. U sweat even when not moving. This is the Seychelles.

cool diver!

Mangroveträd

beermojito!!

This is Seychelles

Seychelles 12th of March.

Departure. The line to our flight was nothing that I thought of. I was picturing myself with Cathrin and a bunch of millionaires on their way to expensive paradise. Not really. Tourists like anyone else, a lot of older people, lot of couples. We were certainly the only swedes.

Arriving in paradise…Mahé. The door of the airplane opens and I can already feel the sweat dripping from my back. A bit tired and humble the air hits us. This humid, warm, 30 degree (def feels like 35) air is shocking! Coming from ice cold Sweden. Paradise, tropical island, we are here. Unfortunately our bags were not. 300SR each as a compensation while waiting (15Euros). As I never experienced this before I could not imagine what could happen to the bag and of course think the worse possible, but hey we were happy anyways we finally arrived. All our stuff, all our books for the study, yes the fear strike me once or twice but no worries.  

  

My first meeting with the seychellois turned out to be very positive. Very organized people. Diandra, from Seychelles Tourism Academy (sent by Sinha, our supervisor in the Seychelles and the Tourism Board) waited for us with a sign with our names. She led us through fast track and we felt like two VIP researchers. Robin, owner of the house we are staying in was also at the airport waiting for us. To our surprise we got upgraded to a 2 floor house, amazing view overlooking the Indian Ocean, almost in tears and chocked of the result of our achievements. Air condition- we can´t live without u. I remember when we were discussing the budget version of the houses, without aircon, that would have been our death.

Two days later we found out that the bag was on its way. I didn´t mind walking around in my bikini and surfers shorts for another couple of days that I luckily by plan left in my hand luggage, but maybe not the best clothes for the office…lol. Check out the huge papaya!

We live in Au Cap. A heavy bus drive to the office in Victoria made us choose to work from home a couple of days a week. The bus drive is as exhausting as a 40 minute sauna. At night its gets very dark here, and there is no lights so we´re kinda forced to stay inside. On our side of the island, the “countryside”, far away from deserted but not many tourists in sight, is in the southern parts of the island of Mahé.

Local. Au Cap primary school

Beautiful..

 

Pics from Paradise!

Seychelles

Will write more soon!

Happy travellers!

View from our balcony

View from our balcony..

Bedroom, 2nd floor

Beau Vallon, Mahé. With Ocean Dream Divers, where I took my diving certificate

Beau Vallon

Overlooking the garden from our 2nd floor

1st day of the study, on our way to Seychelles Tourism Board (STB)

Pretty impressive sunrise..

The local beer (just to inform u, they even have it in the Mojito! delicious)

 Cathrin in the office of STB, we got our own room:)

Say no more

Our beach in Au Cap, where we live

Au Cap, Mahé

The way to the bus in Au Cap

Massive!

5 days left!

Two days left in Karlstad, two days left in Uppsala then the plane takes off to the Seychelles!!! Wiiiiiiiii. This is how I feel, a bit crazy and ugly lol. Cathrin and I are wrapping up the last things at university this week, done some cases and statistic exercises, analyzed Seychelles Strategy 2017 and the official webpage for Seychelles tourism. Surfed around on that site and landed on some islandhopping activities and exclusive island resorts. One that started from 500Euros - 10 000Euros/ villa and NIGHT!!! I think u do understand if I say this is upmarket tourism. We are very relieved and grateful for the help we got and also for the price that we manage to get, now we can actually afford to live there for two months. 

My bag is not ready yet, time to go...xxx  

Picture of the day

This is my niece Rebecca, how cute isn´t she? xxx

Hello sunshine!

What a great long weekend! sunny, white and some plus degrees. Met up with friends for a few drinks, went to see grandma on saturday in Sunne and bought myself a pair of diving flippers for the Seychelles (I am so looking forward to this paradise of diving and cristal clear water). The rest is just history...haha.. I am only joking the rest is lovely food, music, more friends and delicious homemade waffles (thank you!) visit to my previous job where my friend currently is producing a theatre. Cultural sunday! and yes, with a classic ending, swedish criminal movie on tv :) hehe. Today in one week I reccon there will be huge butterflies in my belly because we will soon be on our way to Mahé, Seychelles! And I am nervous but very excited already.

At university, we are repeating some parts from last years big essay of different methodologies, research strategies, epistemology, ontolody, statistics, other cases etc. Sift out some books not needed for the Seychelles. But damn, as we don´t really know what to expect either from the institution we will be in our the library available our suitcases will be heavy! Also, to add, our course will proceed in Karlstad and we will be writing exams while in the Seychelles for that, which means more books to bring...Etihad Airways please be kind with us!

What else...I am thinking a lot about future dream jobs, possibilities and ways to navigate myself. I´ve spoken to some people, but I still haven´t looked into it seriously and applied for a job but I have my eyes and years open. I think a lot about Cape Town..I miss CT and ALL the friendly people and friends. It would be a dream to get a tourism job there. Imagine the pleasant weather and surfing...every week.

Puss och kram