SOUTH POINT VILLAS PROMOTES ECO-FRIENDLY TOURISM IN THE SEYCHELLES

With an 8% rise in tourism coming to the Seychelles in Q1 of 2012 and a new Seychelles brand launched by Seychelles' President James Michel to encourage tourism in the Seychelles, South Point Villas Cerf Island wants to be an example of unobtrusive accommodation fitting into the majestic surroundings of lush Seychelles vegetation.

The Seychelles National Bureau's last statistical bulletin reported a record 69,623 visitors to the Seychelles between January and April of 2012. With such an interest in the beautiful islands, South Point Villas Cerf Island believes it is important to sustain what people are visiting the islands for. "Resorts and hotels built with disregard to the environment would be detrimental to the future economy and lifestyles of the Seychellois" believes Cedric Petit, owner of South Point Villas. "Tourists like to see that we take care of the environment they visit. With many environments around the world being sacrificed for commercialized developments, Seychelles has a unique opportunity to stand-out and develop in a sustainable way."

The three Cerf Island villas have been built with stilts so as not to alter the natural island landscape. The timber construction and green roofing blend in well with the natural forests and shrubs. The villas store water from fresh rain falls and a private ferry is provided to bring guests in from the main island, Mahe.

"Our ferry has fuel and fume efficient engines, and our manager always drives with care and at a slow speed inside the Marine National Park so as not to distress the marine life. We hope others will follow suit. Not far from Cache, the presidential villa, we have a floating mooring which has become quite a hub for reef fish which utilize its shade and freely flowing ocean underneath. Recently, we have undertaken extensive environmental studies and architectural planning to install a small breakwater that provides more stability to our floating mooring whilst still allowing coastal currents to operate as they naturally do. We plan to make the small breakwater another hub for marine life by using natural rocks."

Michel Estico, who manages the villas, agrees: "This is a very exciting time for us and we look forward to sharing this natural paradise with people from around the world who will appreciate its tranquility and natural beauty."