Seychelles has taken the bold move of opening its borders to reboot tourism in the country after several months of absence.
Emirates airlines was the first carrier to arrive on August 1, 2020, bringing the first 167 travellers to Seychelles shores.
Welcome to the Seychelles
The arrival of these long-awaited guests was greeted with much pomp and ceremony, including a symbolic water cannon salute to welcome them.
A host of dignitaries attended the welcoming ceremony to receive travellers and ensure the efficiency of safety procedure during their arrival. The guest list included:
- Mr Didier Dogley, Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine
- Mrs Anne Lafortune, Principal Secretary for Tourism
- Mr Garry Alber, CEO of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority
- Mrs Sherin Francis, Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive Officer
Etihad Airways and Ethiopian Airlines will be the next to arrive in the coming days.
Minister Dogley reiterated that weeks of intensive planning involving all interested parties preceded these first arrivals. He’s confident that all the government departments, tourism stakeholders, and private operators are ready for this new challenge.
Seychelles has adopted all the standard safety procedures one could expect in these times, with sanitization and social distancing foremost in their minds. In addition, the country has limited the availability of flights to low-risk countries.
Limited Arrivals
These include Botswana, Namibia, and Australia. Passengers from Canada, some European countries, New Zealand, and Ireland must have medical clearance to enter the country. Most other countries remain blocked for now.
The situation is fluid and more countries will be allowed as they start to recover from the crisis. Tourists arriving from these permitted countries can enjoy all the usual benefits of sightseeing, island hopping, tours, and excursions, subject to stringent safety protocols.
Onward and Upward
This brave step by Seychelles is a welcome start to the slow recovery of African tourism. Get in touch if you’d like to be one of the first to experience the joys of island travel again.
