I-AIDA Aura itheleke ePort Victoria ngoLwesibili, ithwele abagibeli abangu-1,300 nabasebenzi abangu-400 kanti izohamba ngoLwesine. Iningi labagibeli yizizwe zaseJalimane. Ukaputeni womkhumbi, uSven Laudan, wamukele uNgqongqoshe uLoustau-Lalanne kanye nethimba lakhe emkhunjini ongamamitha angaba ngu-200 namadekhi angu-11.
UCaptain Laudan uchaze ukuthi i-AIDA Aura yenza uhambo oluya nokubuya eSeychelles, eMauritius naseReunion, futhi izoshaya izingcingo eziyi-10 eziya eSeychelles kule sizini. “Sihlala izinsuku ezintathu lapha futhi abagibeli bajabule ngalokhu, kunohambo lokuvakasha yonke indawo,” engeza.
UNgqongqoshe u-Loustau-Lalanne nethimba lakhe banikezwe uhambo olufushane lomkhumbi ohamba ngomkhumbi, onezinsiza eziningi, okuhlanganisa izindawo zokudlela, amabha, isikhungo sokuzilolonga kanye nendawo yamachibi. Ungqongqoshe uthe uvakashele i-AIDA Aura njengoba kungokokuqala ukuthi uhlobo lwe-cruise lufake neSeychelles ohambweni lwayo. Ubalule ukuthi i-AIDA isivele ikuqinisekisile ukuthi izothumela umkhumbi omkhulu wokuhamba ngomkhumbi eSeychelles ngesizini yohambo ka-2018-2019.
Emukela lezi zindaba, uNgqongqoshe uthe lokhu kusho ukwanda kwesibalo sabavakashi baseJalimane abavakashela le ndawo, uma kucatshangelwa ukuthi i-AIDA yakhelwe imakethe yaseJalimane. IGermany isivele iyimakethe ehamba phambili yezokuvakasha e-Seychelles ngo-2017. sizomiswa izinsuku eziyisikhombisa echwebeni lethu njengoba lokho kuzophazamisa ukusebenza kwethu, ngakho-ke kufanele sithole izindlela zokwenza imikhumbi yokuhamba ihlanganise nezinye iziqhingi ohambweni lwayo njengoba sizama ukuheha imikhumbi eminingi ogwini lwethu,” kusho uNgqongqoshe uLoustau- Lalane.
“Ngikholwa wukuthi sithuthukisa ibhizinisi lethu lokuhamba ngomkhumbi kancane kancane futhi sidinga ukwenza umbono omuhle uma sesinolayini abasha abakhetha indawo esiya kuyo. Sibona ukwanda kwesibalo sabavakashi abaza ngama-cruise liners futhi kufanele sizame konke okusemandleni ukuthi okungenani sithole uhhafu wabo ukuthi bangene endizeni futhi bachithe iholidi elide eSeychelles,” wengeza.
Isikhulu esiphezulu sePorts Authority, uColonel André Ciseau, uthe kulindeleke ukuthi kube nezingcingo ezingama-42 ezilindelwe kule sizini, kanti ama-cruise liners alethe izivakashi ezingaba ngu-42,700 50 eSeychelles. Lokhu kusho ukukhula ngamaphesenti acishe abe ngama-28 kunangonyaka odlule lapho kuqoshwa izingcingo ezingama-55 ezikhumulweni zemikhumbi, kanye nokwenyuka ngamaphesenti angama-XNUMX kwezivakashi ezivakashela ogwini lwethu. “Umsebenzi esiwenzile ngokubambisana ne-Association of Ports of the Indian Ocean Islands (APIOI), ababambiqhaza, ozakwethu kanye neziphathimandla zendawo, ngaphezu kokuthuthukiswa kwezokuphepha olwandle esifundeni ukhokha izinzuzo. Sitshale imizamo eminingi ekukhuliseni ibhizinisi futhi sizoqhubeka nokusebenzisana namanye amazwe esifundeni ukuze simakethe ngokuhlanganyela. Manje njengoba sesikhuthaza ngokubambisana i-Cruise Africa Strategy lokhu kungaba wusizo olukhulu,” kusho uColonel Ciseau.
“Njengengxenye ye-Cruise Africa Strategy sisebenzela ukukhuthaza ama-super yachts ukuthi avakashele isifunda ngokuhambisana nezingcingo zokuhamba ngomkhumbi, kanye nePort Management Association of Eastern & Southern Africa (PMAESA) sakha ilotho yesikebhe njengengxenye. ngalo mzamo wokuphromotha, ozovumela isikebhe esiwinayo ukuthi sivakashele amazwe angamalungu kasoseshini wamachweba ngaphandle kokukhokha imali ekhokhwayo echwebeni,” kusho yena. UColonel Ciseau uthe ilotho kumele ibe isilungele ukudayiswa ekupheleni konyaka ozayo.
Isizini yemikhumbi yesikebhe yaseSeychelles iqala ngo-Okthoba kuya cishe ngo-Ephreli.
UNgqongqoshe u-Loustau-Lalanne uphawule ukuthi ibhizinisi lokuhamba ngomkhumbi linamandla amakhulu futhi uma sekuqediwe ukunwetshwa kwamamitha angamakhulu ayisithupha ePort Victoria izwe kufanele libe nolaka ekuthuthukiseni iSeychelles njengendawo yokuhamba ngomkhumbi. Uma konke kuhamba ngokohlelo, iphrojekthi yokunweba kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwePort Victoria kulindeleke ukuthi iqale ekuqaleni konyaka ozayo futhi kufanele iqedwe ngo-2021.
