NEW ‘BASA‘ BETWEEN SOUTH KOREA AND SEYCHELLES EXPECTED TO BOOST TOURISM TIES
(Posted 21st November 2016)
The Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Mr. Alain St. Ange and the South Korean Ambassador Kim Moon-Hwan over the weekend signed a new bilateral air services agreement between the two countries.
The new BASA opens the opportunity to eventually establish direct air links which would boost visitor numbers from South Korea to the archipelago even further.
In 2009 only 84 visitors from South Korea entered the Seychelles, a number which grew in 2015 to 1.371. This year, in 2016, the number has already reached 1.307, most of whom arrive on Gulf airlines flying out of South Korea through their respective hubs in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
The new BASA, which has been under negotiations since 2010, was signed as the two countries mark 40 years of diplomatic relations.
Said Mr. St. Ange: ‘The vehicle to open doors between Korea and Seychelles is the air link and the air link becomes possible when tourism is working‘ to which the South Korean Ambassador then responded: ‘By this ground work I am sure more Koreans will come to Seychelles, and I want to see more opportunity for Korean people to visit this beautiful island and vice versa‘.
More recently have Sri Lankan Airlines and Turkish Airlines commenced flights to the main Seychelles’ island of Mahe and Qatar Airways is due to launch daily flights in December from Doha, connecting their global destinations with just one stop to the archipelago.
More information about Destination Seychelles can be found via www.seychelles.travel
