SPECIAL REPORT
S
eychelles is one of the world’s most beautiful tropical
island destinations. The archipelago consists of 11
islands spread out over a 1 million km 2 area of the
western Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar, with a total
land area of 444 km 2 .
Boasting year-round warm weather, Seychelles is
surrounded by picturesque mountains, spectacular rock
formations, world-class beaches, and lapped by clear, azure
waters. The islands’ unique and rich biodiversity, ranging from
giant land tortoises and the endemic Coco de Mer - the biggest
nut in the world, to virgin fi shing grounds and spectacular
diving sites, provide the perfect setting for a tropical getaway.
It is no surprise that those breathtaking picture-postcard
features keep attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors
every year – from those seeking to vacation at an exotic beach
destination to those looking for the perfect beach wedding
and honeymoon spot.
And, as an added bonus, Seychelles is in perfect proximity
to the African continent allowing visitors to pair up their beach
holiday with a safari in Kenya or South Africa.
Capitalising on the nation's natural beauty
Seychelles’ economy is highly dependent on tourism and
has been witnessing a year-on-year increase in arrival numbers
in recent years. After passing the 300,000 mark in 2016, the
small archipelago with a population of around 93,000 people
welcomed 340,347 visitors in 2017, representing a 16 percent
increase over the previous year.
Europe has always been the traditional market sending
the most visitors to Seychelles, with Germany, France, Italy,
United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and Russia being
among the top contributors. In recent years, other emerging
markets have also shown their interest which include the
United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Africa and China.
Tapping into new emerging markets is a strategy
adopted by the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) – the body
responsible for promoting the destination internationally, with
the aim of diversifying the island’s tourism markets.
Although Seychelles competes with neighbouring islands
in the region that are also offering beach holidays, the country
is keen on promoting joint travel options for holidaymakers
visiting the Indian Ocean region through the Vanilla Islands
brand initiated in 2010.
The aviation industry
The aviation industry of Seychelles is fi ercely competitive
and will become even more so in 2018 as some of the largest
carriers begin fl ying to Seychelles. Presently, 11 airlines are
serving the Seychelles route and making it more accessible
to visitors from across the globe.
British Airways, Air France – through its sister airline
‘Joon’ – and Edelweiss Air will be making their way to
Seychelles in 2018. They will be joining Austrian Airlines,
Qatar Airways, Turkish Airline, SriLankan Airlines, Ethiopian
Airlines, Emirates Airline, Air Seychelles, Condor, Air
Austral, Kenya Airways and Etihad Airways.
British Airways is soon launching direct fl ights which will
operate twice a week. Air France’s sister airline ‘Joon’ will
join in with its thrice-weekly fl ights from May 2018 onwards,
while Edelweiss Air will be fl ying from Zurich to Seychelles
as from September 2018.
The once-a-week service by Edelweiss will connect
Seychelles to three German-speaking countries – Germany,
Austria, and Switzerland. Ethiopian Airlines, which added a
sixth weekly fl ight on the Seychelles route in 2017, has also
announced plans to start fl ying daily to Seychelles in 2018.
COMESA• 2018 • 41