Find Tourism and Travel partners in Seychelles

Overview

Travel and tourism accounts for nearly 25% of Seychelles’ GDP and the total contribution makes up around 60.8% of GDP according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC 2011). In 2011 this figure was expected to fall in the short term but rise by 3.5% per annum over the coming decade. As a result, the WTTC ranked Seychelles 6th out of 181 countries in terms of the relative contribution of tourism to the economy, 46.8% above the world average. The sector supports, both directly and indirectly, 59.9% of total employment. This was forecast to follow the same pattern, which means that by 2022 the industry will employ around 24,500 people. In 2011 visitor exports produced 33.3% of total exports. In 2011 Seychelles received 194,000 tourists.

Investment

Seychelles Tourism Board is a public private sector body that continues to develop the sector and promote the country as a tourist destination. The main target audiences for its promotion are Europe, particularly France and Russia, North America, South Africa and India. The tourist board lists historical attractions, galleries, national parks and beaches as the principal tourist attractions of the country. Snorkelling, surfing and water sports are popular and there is a strong focus on ecotourism. The Eco-Tourism Strategy was set up in 2003, with around 46% of land dedicated to conservation (2005) and custodians of two UNESCO world heritage sites, the Aldabra Atoll and Vallée de Mai. The tourism sector has been affected by piracy, with fewer yachts and cruise ships in the Indian Ocean. The Tourism Board website mentions the Seychelles Investment Bureau (SIB) which invites investment, pointing out the favourable time zone which overlaps with leading world business centres.

In 2011 investment in the travel and tourism sector was SCR1,483.2mn, constituting 38.4% of total investment. This was expected to rise by 1.2% in 2012, and then continue to rise by 3.3% over the following ten years, reaching SCT2,073.4mn by 2022.