The Seychelles tourism market is dominated by Russia with 32,000 Russian visitors welcomed in 2021. The United Arab Emirates is in second place with 21,725 travelers followed by France with 18,545 travelers.
2017 Record Broken
The National Bureau of Statistics has announced the arrival of 182,849 tourists to Seychelles in 2021, an increase of 59% over 2020. Among them are 32,000 Russian visitors. A figure that beats the 2017 record of 13,191 Russian tourists who set foot on Seychelles soil.
This increase in the number of Russian visitors is linked to the May launch of three direct flights per week linking Moscow to Seychelles. The flights boosting tourism in Seychelles are operated by the Russian airline Aeroflot.
Increase in Tourism Revenues
Tourism is the main contributor to the economy of Seychelles. "Last year we set a target of 189,000 arrivals and we are not too unhappy to be within 6,000 arrivals of that target," said Bernadette Willemin, general manager of marketing at the Ministry of Tourism.
Last year, the island nation recorded an increase in tourism revenue with a total of $268 million in revenue (236.2 million euros), compared to $221 million (194,8 million euros) in 2020.
Several hotel projects are underway in Seychelles, said Bernadette Willemin. According to the director-general, the Ministry of Tourism is assessing the carrying capacity for each island to accommodate the arriving tourists. The negative environmental impact on the islands is also being evaluated.