Positive Tourism Estimates

The Ministry of Tourism anticipates a 5 % increase in visitor arrivals this year, reaching 368,500 visitors by the end of 2024.

According to ministry records, the outlook for the first half of 2024 appears highly positive. A 6 % increase in available seats was recorded between January and June. Additionally, there’s a rise in future bookings for the next five months compared to last year, with a surge of over 30% for March and May compared to the same period in 2023.

However, the focus for the upcoming year remains on high-yield, low-impact tourism, in contrast to mass tourism, emphasized the Minister of Tourism and Foreign Affairs, Sylvestre Radegonde, during a press briefing yesterday.

Encouraging Visitors to Invest in Seychelles

The targeted estimated benefits have not yet been finalized as the department awaits the latest data from the Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS). « We are promoting activities that encourage tourists to spend, such as cultural activities at the district level and a livelier Victoria city. This will offer tourists more activities to engage in and spend on ».

Reviewing the performances of 2023, Minister Radegonde stated that her department is satisfied with the sector’s performance in the past year. With 350,879 visitor arrivals, there was a 1 % increase from the target of 348,000 set at the beginning of 2023. This figure represents a 6 % increase compared to the performance in 2022. Arrivals from Germany and Russia increased by over 20 %. Finally, Seychelles witnessed a decrease of 18.5 % in arrivals from Israel during the year.