(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 scenery, the Indian Ocean archipelago rose as one of the most attractive destinations in the world, and its popularity was growing.
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The number of arrivals increased by 4%, and tourism officials prepared for what appeared to be another huge 12-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 changed irreversibly.
Like so many destinations that depend heavily on revenue from international visitors, Seychelles, which is 1,600 kilometers off the coast of Tanzania, has suffered a huge coronavirus blow.
According to the Seychelles Tourism Council, tourist arrivals fell by 70% last year and the sector’s revenues by 2020 fell by about $ 368 million.
“The country is almost at a standstill in terms of tourism,” Sylvestre Radegonde, Seychelles’ foreign minister and tourism, told CNN Travel.
“And because our economy revolves around tourism, it means that other activities have slowed down.
“Everything from fishing to agriculture, arts and crafts, restaurants and bars. So we started the year in a very bad state.”
However, officials have made every stop to ensure that travelers can return quickly and, more importantly, safely.
As of Thursday (March 25th), Seychelles lifts restrictions on all visitors except those traveling from South Africa.
Although arrivals received must present a negative PCR test performed within 72 hours before departure, passengers are no longer subject to any quarantine requirements or traffic restrictions during their visit.
“More than 300 passengers flew this morning, which is the highest number I’ve seen in a long, long day,” Radegonde said just hours after lifting the restrictions.
“So far, our weekly numbers have been around 200, so getting a plane full of passengers is great.”
Another 100 passengers would fly later on Thursday, and the nation expects another hundred in the coming days.
“Aggressive” reopening strategy
Seychelles will open its borders to international visitors, except for travelers from South Africa, starting on March 25.
Torsten Dickmann
The move comes towards the end of a system of launching “aggressive” vaccinations, which aims to completely vaccinate at least 70% of the estimated population of 98,000 in the Seychelles.
Officials set the plan in motion after receiving a donation of about 50,000 doses of vaccine from the UAE government.
“Over 90% of our population has received the first dose of vaccine and over 45% have already received the second dose,” explains Radegonde.
“We hope to have reached our goal in the coming weeks, or certainly in April.”
But the Seychelles travel team is encouraged by the number of bookings received so far and believes now is the right time to invite travelers back.
“We are comfortable getting the immunity we deserve,” says Radegonde. “I trained the units. We have the facilities in place.
“The health facilities are there and the measures we have implemented are working. We are comfortable that we have obtained the immunity we deserve. So we are comfortable reopening.”
Of course, reopening while much of the world is still facing 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 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, asking all passengers to prove negative for a Covid-19 test on arrival in the Maldives in September.
The road to recovery
Popular tourist destination revenues fell by 62% in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paul Turcotte
Although allowing international travelers to enter regardless of their vaccination status is a major step in the right direction, the current travel ban in the UK, one of the largest European markets in the Seychelles, continues to be an obstacle.
“Unfortunately, there are still restrictions in many of our traditional markets, and citizens cannot travel,” says Sherin Francis, executive director of the Seychelles Tourism Council.
According to Francis, many of the trips now arriving in the Seychelles come from places such as Russia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, India, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
“There are no markets we would usually depend on for tourist arrivals, but we realized that no market is insignificant.”
As is the case in most parts of the world, visitors must wear face masks, maintain the rules of social distancing and sanitize their hands regularly.
However, Francis stresses that the holiday experience in Seychelles remains unmatched, regardless of restrictions.
“There are very few destinations that are currently open to tourism with simple entry measures,” she says.
Safety priorities
Travelers to the Seychelles are no longer subject to any quarantine requirements or traffic restrictions.
Shutterstock
“And, as our slogan says, we are truly another world. I don’t think there is another destination that can offer this kind of experience.
“Nature, slow pace of life, lush green vegetation, beautiful beaches. Warm temperatures all year round.
“All this together makes the Seychelles a truly magical place, especially at a time when people are looking for outdoor activities, nature and fresh air.”
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While bringing its tourism industry back on track is a huge priority for the nation, keeping visitors and residents safe remains a major concern.
“Safety has always been a very strong USP for us,” says Francis.
As a result, the new measures are to be continuously reviewed to ensure that “the health and safety of visitors and the local population are not compromised”.
“Our health officials have been involved in everything we have done,” Radegonde added. “We would not have made the decisions we made without their blessing.
“We are comfortable that the measures we have implemented are close enough. Of course, this is a fluid situation, no one knows exactly where Covid is going.
“Every day you hear about different variants. So, if there are changes, we will adapt our protocol accordingly. He will never be 100% crazy. People will still be infected, there is no doubt.
“But in terms of the measures we have implemented, we are confident that we will not only protect our population, but also our visitors.”