(CNN) – Just over a year ago, the prospect of the Seychelles experiencing a dramatic drop in travelers seemed almost inconceivable.
Revered for its beautiful beaches and jungle landscapes, the Indian Ocean archipelago was one of the most attractive places in the world and its popularity was only growing.
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Arrival figures rose 4% and tourism officials prepared for what appeared destined to be another twelve-month success.
But of course, the Covid-19 pandemic paid off almost every plan or prediction made for 2020 and the world, as we knew it, has changed irreversibly.
Like so many destinations that depend heavily on the income of international visitors, the Seychelles, located 1,600 kilometers off the coast of Tanzania, received a severe blow from the coronavirus.
According to the Seychelles Tourism Council, tourist arrivals fell by 70% last year and the sector’s revenue for 2020 fell by around $ 368 million.
“The country has almost stopped in terms of tourism activities,” Sylvestre Radegonde, Seychelles ’Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, told CNN Travel.
“And because our economy revolves a lot around tourism, it means that other activities also slowed down.
“Everything from fishing, to farming, crafts, restaurants and bars. So we started the year in a bad state.”
However, officials have made all the stops to ensure passengers can return quickly and, most importantly, safely.
As of Thursday (March 25), the Seychelles will lift restrictions on all visitors, other than those traveling from South Africa.
Although arrivals must present a negative PCR test conducted within 72 hours prior to departure, travelers are no longer subject to any quarantine requirements or movement restrictions during their visit.
“More than 300 passengers have flown this morning, which is the largest number we’ve seen in a day in a long time,” Radegonde said a few hours after the restrictions were lifted.
“So far, the weekly figures were around 200, so getting a plane full of passengers is fantastic.”
Another hundred passengers are expected to fly later Thursday and the nation expects hundreds more over the next few days.
“Aggressive” reopening strategy
The Seychelles will open its borders to international visitors, with the exception of travelers from South Africa, from 25 March.
Torsten Dickmann
The move comes at the end of an “aggressive” vaccine launch scheme that aims to completely vaccinate at least 70% of the estimated population of Seychelles ’98,000 people.
Officials launched the plan after receiving a donation of approximately 50,000 doses of vaccine from the UAE government.
“More than 90% of our population has received the first dose of the vaccine and more than 45% have already taken the second dose,” Radegonde explains.
“We hope to have achieved our goal in the coming weeks or certainly during the month of April.”
But the Seychelles tourism team is excited by the number of bookings received so far and believe that now is the right time to invite travelers back.
“We’re comfortable getting the immunity we deserve,” Radegonde says. “We have formed the establishments. We have the facilities in place.
“The health facilities are there and the measures we have implemented work. We are comfortable that we have achieved the immunity we deserve. So we feel comfortable reopening it.”
Of course, reopening while much of the world still faces the virus will not be without its challenges.
When the Maldives reopened unconditionally in July 2020, it became an even more attractive option for travelers, especially because rival destinations such as Tahiti, Bali and Phuket remained closed to international travelers.
However, officials were forced to tighten the restrictions again a few months later, requiring all travelers to prove a negative test of Covid-19 on arrival in the Maldives from September.
Recovery path
Tourist revenue from the popular destination fell 62% in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paul Turcotte
While allowing the entry of international travelers regardless of their vaccination status is an important step in the right direction, the current ban on travel to the UK, one of Seychelles ’most important European markets, remains an obstacle.
“Unfortunately, there are still restrictions in many of our traditional markets and citizens cannot travel,” says Sherin Francis, CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Council.
According to Francis, many of the travelers arriving in the Seychelles now come from places such as Russia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, India, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
“They’re not markets we’d normally depend on for tourist arrivals, but we’ve realized that no market is insignificant.”
As is the case in most of the world, visitors must wear facial masks, maintain rules of social distancing, and sanitize hands regularly.
However, Francis stresses that the holiday experience in the Seychelles remains unmatched, regardless of the restrictions.
“There are very few destinations currently open to tourism with simple and easy entry measures,” he says.
Security priorities
Travelers to the Seychelles are no longer subject to any quarantine requirements or traffic restrictions.
Shutterstock
“And, as our slogan says, we’re really another world. I don’t think there’s any other destination that can provide that kind of experience.
“Nature, slow pace of life, lush green vegetation, beautiful beaches. Warm temperatures all year round.
“All this makes the Seychelles a magical place, especially at a time when people are looking for outdoor activities, nature and fresh air.”
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Approximately 535 hotel establishments in the Seychelles have received the appropriate training and are licensed for international travelers received at this time.
While the recovery of its tourism industry is a high priority for the nation, it remains a key concern for both visitors and residents.
“Security has always been a very strong USP for us,” Francis says.
As a result, new measures need to be continually reviewed to ensure that “the health and safety of visitors and the local population is not compromised.”
“Our health officials have been involved in everything we’ve done,” Radegonde adds. “We would not have made the decisions we have made without his blessing.
“We are comfortable that the measures we have taken are narrow enough. Of course, this is a fluid situation, no one knows exactly where Covid is going.
“Every day you feel different variants. So if there are changes, we will adapt our protocol accordingly. It will never be a 100% foolish test. People will still be infected, no doubt.
“But in terms of the measures we have taken, we are confident that we will not only protect our population, but visitors as well.”