(CNN) – Just over a year ago, the prospect of the Seychelles experiencing a dramatic drop in the number of travelers seemed almost unimaginable.
Revered for its beautiful beaches and jungle landscapes, the Indian Ocean archipelago soared as one of the world’s most attractive destinations, and its popularity only grew.
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Arrivals were up 4%, and tourism officials were bracing for what seemed destined to be another hugely successful 12 months.
But of course the Covid-19 pandemic has been paid for almost every plan or prediction for 2020, and the world as we knew it has changed irreversibly.
Like so many destinations that rely heavily on income from international visitors, the Seychelles, which is 1,600 kilometers off the coast of Tanzania, was hit hard by the corona virus.
According to the Seychelles Tourism Board, the number of tourists fell 70% last year and the sector’s revenues fell by about $ 368 million in 2020.
“The country had almost come to a standstill in terms of tourism activities,” Sylvestre Radegonde, Seychelles Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, told CNN Travel.
“And since our economy revolves around tourism, this means that other activities slowed down as well.
“Everything from fishing to agriculture, arts and crafts, restaurants and bars. So we started the year in a really bad shape.”
However, officials have pulled out all the stops to ensure that travelers can return quickly and, above all, safely.
As of Thursday (March 25), Seychelles will lift restrictions on all visitors except those traveling from South Africa.
Although incoming arrivals must provide a negative PCR test administered within 72 hours of departure, travelers are no longer subject to quarantine requirements or restrictions on movement during their visit.
“More than 300 passengers flew in this morning, which is the most we’ve seen in a long, long time in a day,” Radegonde said hours after the restrictions were lifted.
“So far, our weekly figures are around 200, so getting a plane full of passengers is great.”
Another hundred travelers were to fly in later Thursday, and the nation expects hundreds more in the coming days.
Strategy for ‘aggressive’ reopening
The Seychelles will open their borders to international visitors from March 25, excluding travelers from South Africa.
Torsten Dickmann
The move comes at the end of an ‘aggressive’ vaccination schedule that aims to fully vaccinate at least 70% of Seychelles’ estimated 98,000 residents.
Officials have initiated the plan after a donation of approximately 50,000 vaccine doses from the United Arab Emirates government.
“More than 90% of our population has received the first dose of the vaccine and more than 45% has already had the second dose,” explains Radegonde.
“We hope to have reached our goal in the coming weeks, or certainly in the course of April.”
But the Seychelles tourism team has been encouraged by the number of bookings received so far and believes now is the right time to invite travelers.
“We are comfortable that we have achieved the immunity we deserve,” says Radegonde. ‘We trained the establishments. We have the facilities available.
“The health facilities are there and the measures we’ve implemented are working. We’re comfortable having achieved the immunity we deserve. So we’re comfortable reopening.”
Of course, while much of the world is still struggling with the virus, reopening won’t be without its challenges.
When the Maldives reopened unconditionally in July 2020, it became an even more attractive option for travelers, especially as rival destinations such as Tahiti, Bali and Phuket remained closed to international travelers.
However, officials were forced to tighten restrictions again a few months later, requiring all travelers to show evidence of a negative Covid-19 test upon arrival in the Maldives from September.
Path to recovery
The popular destination’s tourism revenues fell 62% in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paul Turcotte
While allowing international travelers regardless of their vaccination status is an important step in the right direction, the current travel ban in the UK, one of the Seychelles’ largest European markets, remains a hurdle.
“Unfortunately, there are still restrictions in many of our traditional resource markets and citizens cannot travel,” said Sherin Francis, CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board.
According to Francis, many of the travelers who now arrive in Seychelles come from places like Russia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, India, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
“These are not markets we normally depend on for tourism arrivals, but we have realized that no market is insignificant.”
As is the case in most of the world, visitors are required to wear face masks, enforce social distance rules, and regularly sanitize their hands.
Francis emphasizes, however, that the experience of a Seychelles vacation remains unparalleled, regardless of any restrictions.
“There are currently few destinations open to tourism with simple, straightforward access measures,” she says.
Safety priorities
Travelers to Seychelles are no longer subject to quarantine requirements or movement restrictions.
Shutterstock
And just like our slogan says, we really are ‘another world’. I don’t think there is any other destination that can provide this kind of experience.
“The nature, the slow pace of life, the green lush vegetation, the beautiful beaches. Warm temperatures all year round.
“All this together makes Seychelles a truly magical place to be, especially at a time when people are looking for outdoor activities, nature and fresh air.”
Bird Island, near the equator, is one of the most unique islands in the Seychelles. It’s also home to a very special character, whose presence makes you feel like you’ve traveled back in time.
About 535 hotel establishments in Seychelles have received appropriate training and are currently licensed to accommodate international travelers.
While getting the tourism industry back on track is a huge priority for the country, the safety of visitors and residents alike remains paramount.
“Security has always been a very strong USP for us,” says Francis.
As a result, the new measures must be continuously reviewed to ensure that “the health and safety of visitors and the local population is not endangered”.
“Our health officials have been involved in everything we’ve done,” adds Radegonde. “We wouldn’t have made the decisions we made without their blessing.
“We are confident that the measures we have taken are tight enough. This is of course a changeable situation, no one knows exactly where Covid is going.
“You hear different variants every day. So if there are changes, we adjust our protocol accordingly. It will never be 100% foolproof. People will still get infected, no doubt about that.
“But in terms of the measures we have taken, we are confident that we will not only protect our population, but also our visitors.”