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Published on : Thursday, December 3, 2020
For honeymooners and other leisure travelers worldwide, the mystical island of Seychelles remains an escape into the fantasy world although the pandemic has damaged the travel sector, the destination maintains its attraction intact.
Heading towards a steady recovery, the tropical paradise has seen the arrival of 98,894 up to November 15, 2020. Based on the information provided by the National Bureau of Statistics, since re-opening to commercial flights on August 1, 2020, the Seychelles International Airport has experienced arrival of 9,272 visitors.
The local tourism industry’s traditional markets so far have remained unwavering with the UAE as the top visiting region with 3,065 visitors, followed by Germany with 2,328, Switzerland with 1,495, the UK with 662 and France with 298.
The airport has witnessed 1,154 arrivals in week 46 with the same markets remaining persistent with 628 visitors from Germany, 218 from Switzerland, 83 from the UAE, 72 from South Africa and 55 from Austria during this time.
Furthermore, since the resumption of Air Seychelles flights to South Africa, there has been a rise in the visitor numbers from the region from 11 in week 45 to 72 in week 46.
Scrutinizing the tourism arrival numbers recently, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive, Sherin Francis, has mentioned that the present situation leaves little room for previsions of trends as travelers are booking close to their estimated travel date.
To quote Francis, “The last quarter of 2019 alone, Seychelles received 104,079 visitors; therefore, the numbers presented this year may seem dull in comparison. However, looking at the bigger picture, these same figures are monumental for the local tourism industry. At current, our marketing approach is flexible and in constant evolution. We are doing so without deviating from the very crucial goal of keeping our people safe.”