Tourism is the most important nongovernment sector of Seychelles' economy. About 15 per cent of the formal work force is directly employed in tourism, and employment in construction, banking, transportation, and other activities is closely tied to the tourist industry. Tourists enjoy the Seychelles' coral beaches and opportunities for water sports. Wildlife in the archipelago is also a major attraction.

History

The tourist industry was born with the completion of the Seychelles International Airport in 1971, advancing rapidly to a level of 77,400 arrivals in 1979. After slackening in the early 1980, growth was restored through the introduction of casinos, vigorous advertising campaigns, and more competitive pricing. After a decline to 90,050 in 1991 because of the Persian Gulf War, the number of visitors rose to more than 116,000 in 1993. In 1991 France was the leading source of tourists, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and South Africa. Europe provided 80 per cent of the total tourists and Africa—mostly South Africa and Réunion—most of the remainder. European tourists are considered the most lucrative in terms of length of stay and per capita spending.

Under the 1990–94 development plan, which emphasises that the growth of tourism should not be at the expense of the environment, the number of beds on the islands of Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue is to be limited to 4,000. Increases in total capacity are to be achieved by developing the outer islands. To avoid future threat to the natural attractions of the islands, 150,000 tourists per year are regarded as the ultimate ceiling. The higher cost of accommodations and travel, deficiencies in services and maintenance of facilities, and a limited range of diversions handicap Seychelles in attracting vacationers at the expense of other Indian Ocean tourist destinations.Seychelles Tours, Friday, 1 December 2023

In 2011, Prince William and Princess Catherine Middleton spent their honeymoon in Seychelles.

Since the royal honeymoon in 2011, Seychelles has received a drastic transformation from a primarily European market into an expanded high value sector. Despite disruptions from the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic the tourism industry received significant overall growth. In recent years, the annual visitor rate of Seychelles has increased from 200,000 to 350,000 with revenues and foreign exchange of tourism driving roughly $1.085 billion into the nations GDP, supplying just over half of the Country's overall GDP.

In recent years, Seychelles has increasingly presented itself as a high-end, luxury destination, similar to that of the Maldives. The focus is on attracting more low-volume, high yield tourists, to increase the measure in popularity, rather than budget travellers, with the average visitor spending over $15,000 per trip, close to the average GDP per capita of the country, $16,586.

Statistics

+Yearly tourist arrivals in thousands

The direct contribution of the tourism sector to GDP was estimated at 50 per cent, and it provides about 70 per cent of total foreign exchange earnings. Although difficult to measure, the import content of tourism expenditures is high, so net tourism earnings are significantly lower. 130,046 tourist arrivals were recorded in 2000, including over 104,000 from Europe. In the same year, Seychelles had 2,479 hotel rooms with 5,010 beds filled to 52% capacity. Tourist income was US$112 million in 1999. In 2002, the US Department of State estimated the average daily cost of staying in Seychelles at $246 per day. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 230,272 tourists visited Seychelles in 2013 compared to 208,034 in 2012.

No.Country2023No.Country2022No.Country2021No.Country2020No.Country2019No.Country2018154,925144,626131,392124,069172,509161,339242,410244,393221,699212,488243,297243,549338,172330,573318,425312,006329,872326,671419,870421,583417,67347,337427,289425,024519,559518,394510,55157,097524,609524,409616,410616,91868,48665,161615,300613,901714,696715,88075,55174,604714,338713,394812,945815,21785,52682,898812,403812,39999,97999,18595,10092,892911,909911,362109,411109,159104,327102,8841010,8701010,359118,246118,124114,068112,675118,989119,810127,602126,871123,313122,456126,487129,050136,432135,134133,298131,872135,973136,203145,428145,015143,280141,585145,791144,814154,108154,957153,230151,373155,553154,731164,073164,374163,137161,300165,185164,547173,880174,151172,93317761174,528174,269183,842183,992182,55418708184,298183,935193,566193,610192,31819683194,144193,918203,513203,533201,61020647203,669203,795Other61,812Other56,379Other24,378Other19,362Other67,191Other64,365Total350,879Total332,068Total182,849Total114,858Total384,204Total361,844

Tourist attraction sites

Anse Intendance, Mahé Anse Lazio, Praslin Anse Source d'Argent, La Digue Baie Lazare, Mahé La Digue Island Curieuse Island Morne Seychellois National Park Ste Anne National Marine Park Beau Vallon Beach Anse Volbert Vallée de Mai National Park, Praslin Cousin Island Aride Island Nature Reserve Silhouette Island Victoria, Mahé Bird Island Aldabra Atoll Anse Royal, Mahé Anse Cachee, Mahé Takamaka Bay Beach

See also Visa policy of Seychelles Culture of Seychelles

References

Further reading