(4 minutes read)
· Seychelles has received more than 2,000 visitors since the reopening of the airport for commercial passenger flights
· This has helped the country to receive US$31million. This was announced recently by the Governor of Central Bank of Seychelles Caroline Abel
· Seychelles was looking to set up transit hotels that would welcome tourists from leading tourism markets, even from the countries, where infection rates are high
· They will be parked in the transit hotels and only after the quarantine time, they would be allowed to shift to regular hotels
Seychelles has received more than 2,000 visitors since the reopening of the airport for commercial passenger flights. This has helped the country to receive US$31million. This was announced recently by the Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles Caroline Abel.
Didier Dogley, the tourism minister of the Island nation , said this additional flow of resources has been added to the economy’s liquidity and vindicated the decision to open Seychelles to commercial passenger flights. The minister and the central bank chief were speaking at a task force meeting set up to take stock of the effect of the opening up of the economy after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The tourism minister also revealed that steps are being taken to attract more tourists from Europe, who flock to the country in large numbers. Seychelles, he said, was looking to set up transit hotels that would welcome tourists from leading tourism markets, even from the countries, where infection rates are high. They will be parked in the transit hotels and only after the quarantine time, they will be allowed to shift to regular hotels.
Recently, Seychelles removed France from the list of permitted country to visit the island. That led to widespread cancelation of rooms not only for September but also for October and November. Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria and the United Arab Emirates are the key markets for the Seychelles’ tourism industry.
The minister said work had already been done to evolve a criteria for inducing tourists from these markets to visit Seychelles. So far 71 establishments have shown interest in setting up transit hotels. To be approved as a transit hotel, the hotel property should not be located in a densely populated area. It should be in a secluded place so that there will be some restrictions on the movement of people staying there. The visitor will be permitted to use facilities available within the boundary of the establishment. Such transit hotels will be under surveillance of the security people to avoid the tourists coming in contact with the local population.
