(Posted 07th September 2023)
Figures obtained from the Seychelles show a rise in visitor arrival numbers by end August to 229.205 compared to the 2022 figure of 216.777.
A visitor boost is expected for the month of October when between the 23rd until the 31st of October the annual Creole Festival will be held in Victoria, the capital of the island archipelago with a Creole Village being set up at the Music Stadium. Mr. Emmanuel D’Offay, the Executive Director of the Creative Seychelles Agency, some time ago said: “It is a village that we want people to visit regularly during the Festival. There is quite a large space there and as such there will be Creole discos and shows, with an area for people to dance.”
A further boost for arrivals to the paradise islands, as the Seychelles are often called, is expected as airlines either resume flights or add freqeuencies, for the upcoming high season.
Lufthansa Group member airline Edelweiss has commenced a once a week service between Zurich and Mahe, as has German holiday airline Condor, flying once a week between Frankfurt and Mahe.
Ethiopian Airlines some time ago already announced a doubling of their daily flights between Addis Abeba to Mahe to double daily as did Emirates, also upping their flights from once a day to twice a day.
Other scheduled flights to Mahe are operated by Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Air Austral from Reunion, Kenya Airways from Nairobi and of course national airline Air Seychelles.
Ms. Bernadett Willemin, the Director General for Destination Marketing, is quoted to have said: “It gives us great pleasure to witness the surge in flight connections between Seychelles and crucial markets. The Seychelles Islands have always been known for their unparalleled natural beauty and vibrant culture and with these new connections, we eagerly anticipate welcoming travellers from across the globe to experience our unique paradise.”
However, the announcement by Russian airline Aeroflot to add a third weekly flight as of 16th of October is seen with some concern by the aviation fraternity, as questions over internationally recognized standards for the status of airworthiness of Russian aircraft have increased in recent months following several incidents.
Under sanction from the aircraft manufacturing countries over the war of aggression by Russia against the Ukraine has Russia found it next to impossible to obtain approved spare parts to service their largely western aircraft fleets – which at the start of the sanctions were blatantly stolen from aircraft leasing companies – and had to cannibalise grounded planes to keep other aircraft flying.
