Type: 
Paid
Closing date: 
17 Jul 2024
Section: 
Aldabra

JOB TITLE:                                      Tourism Officer

SALARY BAND:                            SG 10

RESPONSIBLE TO:                      Tourism Coordinator/Head of Commerce & Tourism/ ASC/IM

LOCATION:                                     Aldabra

HOURS OF WORK:                       The hours of work will be non-standard and involve overtime.

CONTEXT & BACKGROUND

The Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) requires a tourism coordinator to be based on Aldabra Atoll for the tourism season of November-April to coordinate, manage and liaise with all tourism and visiting groups to the atoll.

The Aldabra Tourism Officer (ATO) has overall responsibility for coordination of the logistics of visiting vessels, communicating with expedition leaders and the SIF Head Office, designing activity programmes for visitors on Aldabra, ensuring biosecurity measures are supported and implemented in full, leading the guiding of visitors on Aldabra, ensuring that all visitors and visiting crew adhere to Aldabra’s rules and regulations, and submitting reports on each visit and making recommendations.

Duties & Responsibilities

  • Liaise with visiting vessels contact points (e.g. Expedition leaders) via email for each visit;
  • Liaise with the Operations Manager to ensure that each visiting vessel first applies for and receives clearance for visiting from HO and that all necessary documents are passed onto the visiting vessel. Responsible for following through with the expedition leader that those documents were received.  that due procedures are followed.
  • Reply to any queries from visiting vessels promptly and helpfully;
  • Develop activity programmes for the visitors in collaboration with the Aldabra Scientific Coordinator (ASC) and Island Manager (IM) and adapt this where necessary to ensure the best experience for guests while working around the tidal restrictions and ensuring that all regulations are followed;
  • Ensure that the zoning plan is adhered to in planning programmes (i.e. visitors to stay in visitor zones; water activities only to be done in designated zones);
  • Ensure that all visitors who are coming ashore at Aldabra have watched the Aldabra biosecurity video before they arrive
  • Meet visiting vessels on their arrival with IM and/or ASC
  • Ensure with ASC and IM that full biosecurity checks are conducted on all visitors and crew disembarking at Aldabra;
  • Lead and organise guiding of visitor groups by organising tour guides among Aldabra staff and leading groups of tourists not exceeding 15 people;
  • Ensure that the rules and regulations of Aldabra are adhered to at all times by all visitors and crew;
  • Ensure that all visitors are grouped sensibly and always accompanied by a member of the Aldabra staff;
  • Accompany the various activities: diving and snorkelling groups, lagoon and west channel cruises;
  • Deliver presentations on Aldabra, SIF’s work, and Aldabra’s rules and regulations on board vessels as well as train staff in guiding and presentation skills;
  • Stay overnight on visiting vessels as required;
  • Write and submit reports following each visiting vessel, following the approved template and reporting the details, facts and any problems;
  • Write an end of season tourism report (to be submitted in May each season) which summarises all of details and experiences with the visiting vessels, particularly noting any problems and recommendations.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCES

  • BSc or equivalent in an environmental subject focusing on nature conservation, environmental education, tourism or related subject (essential)
  • Minimum 2 years of experience of working in an environmental field including conservation, tourist management, protected area management (essential)
  • Leadership experience (essential)
  • Dive Master certification and 100+ dives including leading dives (preferred)
  • Rescue Diver certification and 50+ dives including leading dives (essential)
  • Up to date first aid certification by an approved body (preferred)
  • Good knowledge and understanding of biosecurity and experience of biosecurity measures (essential)
  • Good background of report writing (preferred)
  • Experience with designing and delivering presentations to large and diverse audiences (preferred)
  • Strong swimmer and snorkeller (essential)
  • Strong history of professional communication with local/international partners (preferred)
  • Experience working on Aldabra (desired)

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

  • High level of professionalism and capacity to adhere to strict regulations even when questioned.
  • Expert coordination and organisational skills.
  • Outstanding communication skills, particularly English speaking, writing and presenting skills, plus effective interpersonal skills.
  • Well-developed presentation skills and awareness of how to engage different audiences.
  • Ability to be friendly, helpful and positive when confronted with unexpected challenges.
  • Commitment and diligent – Committed to and diligently working towards achieving results for a sustainable future of Aldabra.
  • Fully computer literate.
  • Fluency in English (essential); knowledge of Creole and/or French (and other languages) is highly beneficial.

Apply now with an application form (which can be downloaded from our website, or collected at Mont Fleuri or Vallée de Mai Visitor Centre), and your CV sent to info@sif.sc and hr@sif.sc. The deadline for applications is Tuesday 17th July 2024.