The country’s tourism industry, which is an important contributor to the economy, has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the temporary closure of its borders. However, in recent years, Seychelles has been working to rebuild the industry through additional marketing campaigns and strategic partnerships.
“We started the year with a lot of uncertainty, one of which was the Ukraine war because Russia at that time was our main market,” said Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary of Tourism. Despite these challenges, the event served its purpose, with western European markets filling up on cancellations from Russia and Ukraine due to curtailing COVID travel restrictions.
In 2022, Europe continued to dominate visitor arrivals, with Germany leading the way with 44,772 visitors, followed by France with 44,503 and Russia in third place with 31,180. The future schedule also sees the return of Condor and Aeroflot to Seychelles, as well as extra charter flights from Israel, all of which support the recovery of the place.
Seychelles has also attracted a large number of visitors from countries such as Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and India, which combined for 51,668 visitors. Francis told the Seychelles News Agency (SNA) that “he hopes that this major sector will do better in terms of tourism income by the end of this year.”
The increase in tourism is good news for Seychelles, as the industry plays an important role in the country’s economy. The tourism department is looking forward to the future and will continue to strive to attract more visitors in the coming years.