Seychelles' Assumption Island: Qatari firm wins bid to develop eco-tourism resort

Assumption Island is part of the Aldabra Group and is managed by the IDC. (Islands Development Company)

The Assets Development Company from Qatar has been chosen to build a five-star hotel on Seychelles' Assumption Island with 50-60 rooms with ecological themes, said Glenny Savy, the chief executive of the Islands Development Company (IDC) on Monday.

Savy made the announcement in a press conference on Monday when giving an update on the company's long-term development plans.

IDC, a state-owned company, launched an expression of interest in June for the construction of a 10-40 bedroom hotel on Assumption to cater for up to 90 persons for day trips to Aldabra and go back to the island for sleep over.

The expression of interest closed on August 3 and Savy told reporters that "although there had been two requests for information, there has only been one company that had shown interest in going ahead with the development."

Savy said that since the Assets Management Company is yet to submit its final plans, IDC cannot provide definite figures as to how much it stands to make out of the venture.

Assumption Island, located southwest of Mahe, is part of the Aldabra Group and is managed by the Islands Development Company.

IDC expects to have the plans in three to four months and the hotel should be completed by 2025.

Savy had revealed in a previous interview that it costs the company SCR10 million ($768,000) to maintain Assumption annually.

With the new eco-tourism establishment, the CEO said IDC is expecting to generate revenue that will "help in the upkeep of the island as well as help with running Aldabra. Our main aim was to find an economic activity on the island that could generate some revenue."

As part of the new project, the company will receive 40 to 60 hectares of Assumption's 1,100 for the development.

In addition to the eco-tourism establishment, there will also be IDC villas on the island in a bid to allow more Seychellois to visit the island and eventually visit Aldabra.

"We will be selling them amenities such as electricity and sewerage among others to also generate revenue," said Savy.

"We believe the project will work well on Assumption as it is a small one," elaborated Savy, adding that there will be no exploitation of the island's resources as IDC is intent on protecting the environment.

At the time of launching its expression of interest on Assumption, IDC had also launched one for Coetivy.

The development plans on Coetivy will be comprehensive with farms and vanilla production.

However, Savy said that while there had been interest in developing a tourism establishment on the island, there had been hesitation for concrete proposals since the most beautiful part of the island had been leased to another developer.

"The government is in a leasehold agreement with Siva (Chinnakannan Sivasankaran- naturalised Seychellois of Indian origin) who is yet to develop the area," he said and added that until a decision is taken, IDC will go ahead with its development plans for the islands.

He also confirmed that IDC plans for a small luxury eco-tourism establishment at Grand Barbe on Silhouette, Seychelles' third largest island, are on track, and construction work should begin towards the end of this year or the beginning of the next.