Bounce-back Continues as Seychelles Tourist Arrivals Exceed 2021 Figures

The number of visitors to Seychelles has surpassed figures for the whole of 2021 soon after the beginning of the third quarter of 2022, proof of tourism recovery in the country.

The 182,850th passenger disembarked at the Seychelles International Airport at Pointe Larue on 27 July 2022, topping the 182,849 passengers who travelled to the island destination last year.

As a token of appreciation, the passengers of the morning flights were treated with small gifts from the Tourism Department.

The Director-General for Destination Marketing, Mrs Bernadette Willemin, noted that given the difficulties the tourism sector has endured these past two years, she is proud of the great feat that has been achieved.

"We are delighted to once again be celebrating a significant milestone in our journey towards the recovery of the local tourism industry. Reaching 2021 figures in only seven months is an achievement that would not have been possible without the collaborative effort of the government and private sector. We are keeping our eyes on making yet another hit in our 2022 arrival numbers," said Mrs Willemin.

Emphasizing the importance of remaining competitive as a destination, Mrs Willemin added that the tourism team has been focused on reinforcing its marketing strategies and intensifying its online presence.

"As a destination, we are striving to remain diligent and continue to maintain a strong presence in all our markets, through our participation in the various trade and consumer events taking place. However, we also bear in mind that the like COVID-19 pandemic and other global situations can quickly change, which in turn, could affect the progress that we have made," she added.

As in previous years, Europe remains the main market source, which accounts for 73.83% of all arrivals. Leading the European market are France and Germany, with the former drawing in a total of 24,615 visitors since the start of the year to week the end of week 29. Behind the European market sits the Asian market, with the United Arab Emirates, Israel and India taking the lead, respectively.

Now that the COVID-19 measures have eased and the outdoor mask-wearing mandate has been removed, Seychelles is slowly transitioning back to pre-pandemic life. It is hoped that with this favourable advantage, the country can pick up where it left off two years ago.