SEYCHELLES RECORDS 2 PERCENT MORE ARRIVALS IN FIRST HALF OF 2018
(Posted 27th June 2018)
The growth of visitor arrivals this year continues, albeit at a reduced rate of presently only 2 percent over the record breaking year of 2017, has information received from the Seychelles Tourism Board revealed.
Since the beginning of the year have over 161.800 visitors arrived, by air and by cruise liner – with the cruise season being particularly rewarding this year.
German visitors are again topping the scale with 23.372 tourists – up by eight percent over 2017 – from that country landing in the Seychelles. Notably were among those record numbers this correspondent’s sister and brother in law who arrived on the AIDA in February, inspired by the many positive articles they had in the past read on ATCNews.org before sharing their experience that nothing beats a personal visit to the paradise islands.
While Russia – suffering from a currency devaluation and probably the affects of the run up to the FIFA World Cup – the UAE and South Africa’s arrival numbers have declined has France and Italy made up by increased arrivals of three and six percent respectively.
According to additional data received is tourism’s contribution to the GDP of the Seychelles now at 27+ percent, earning the country foreign exchange worth over 400 million US Dollars.
Explaining the slightly below forecast growth did Mrs. Sherin Francis, CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board say: ‘Seychelles has fared well for this first half of the year. Four years ago, we had only one percent increase and this year we see ourselves faced with a similar situation. Russians are travelling within Russia to watch the matches as the event is taking place in their country. We also see other potential visitors from Europe as well as other markets travelling to Russia to support their teams‘.
Tourism stakeholders, who met earlier in the week in Victoria for the mid year marketing meeting with STB representatives from their overseas offices, expressed confidence to ATCNews.org that arrival numbers will rise to a higher percentage during the second half of 2018 and that at the end of the year a new visitor arrival record will be accomplished.
For more information about Destination Seychelles click on www.seychelles.travel
