Seychelles has introduced a per person/per night levy on international hotel guests to be applied in-destination and collected by the tourism accommodations upon check out.
The Government of Seychelles, in its continuous commitment to preserving the natural beauty of the archipelago and promoting sustainable tourism, has introduced the Seychelles’ Tourism Environmental Sustainability Levy, which will be effective from August 1.
The newly introduced levy, charged in Seychelles Rupees will not be applicable to children under 12, staff of airline companies and Seychellois citizens. Most international travellers have to pay a fee ranging from SCR 25 to SCR 100 ($1.80 to $7.50), depending on the size of the tourism accommodation.
Our new strategic plan is putting a lot of emphasis on higher value, lower impact tourism, supported by sustainable experiences”
– Sherin Francis
The primary aim of the Seychelles’ Tourism Environmental Sustainability Levy is to support environmental conservation and rehabilitation initiatives. By directing the proceeds from this levy towards the environment, Seychelles seeks to further protect and enhance the natural environment that draws thousands of visitors to our shores each year.
SUSTAINABILITY IS KEY
The ideal environment of Seychelles makes it considered one of the most travelled destinations around the world where nature thrives, harbouring some of the rarest species of flora and fauna on the planet.
The ideal environment of Seychelles makes it considered one of the most travelled destinations around the world where nature thrives, harbouring some of the rarest species of flora and fauna on the planet.
“In the Seychelles, sustainability is more than a buzzword, it is something that impacts our livelihood and even our survival as an island,” Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary for Tourism, tells TTN in an interview.
Global warming has been raising sea levels and affecting coral growth and survival, thus putting the entire ocean ecosystem off kilter, she says.
“For us, it’s important that we as a destination become more sustainable, not just in terms of environmental conservation, which is obviously high on the agenda, but in terms of energy conservation, water consumption, waste management, and preservation of island culture, having sustainable policies within various properties and the destination. This also includes educating, motivating and training our employees, as well as having the right balance of foreign workers to local workers in the industry.”
HIGH VALUE, LOW IMPACT
Hotels and resorts in the Seychelles are renowned for their luxury, comfort and privacy, attracting A-listers from around the world. Providing customers with an enjoyable experience for ensuring each guest is cared for is paramount as is mouthwatering and healthy cuisine, relaxing accommodations with a nice view, and a luxurious spa.
“Our new strategic plan is putting a lot of emphasis on higher value, lower impact tourism. When we talk about higher value, we mean offering more experiences for our visitors to retain them for longer, to encourage them to spend more in the destination. Our experiences are again tied very closely to sustainability. We’re talking about cultural tourism, a community-based outreach to experience authenticity.
The ‘Experience Seychelles – One Big Wow’ campaign has been recently launched for the third consecutive year offering guests three key journeys: Grand Diversity, Nature’s Sanctuary, and Creole Rendezvous.
‘Grand Diversity’ highlights the personalities of the different islands as well as the diverse activities available to travellers, whilst ‘Nature’s Sanctuary’ promotes the destination’s rich biodiversity and breathtaking beauty. Finally, ‘Creole Rendezvous’ invites visitors to experience warm Creole hospitality while learning about the Seychellois people’s heritage.
With this, the destination equally appeals to honeymooners and weddings, as well as family travellers and MICE and incentive groups, she says.
Last month, Tourism Seychelles partnered with Lulu Travel Corporation for a B2C activation at Abu Dhabi’s Mushrif Mall. Ahmed Fathallah, the Regional Director - Middle East for Tourism Seychelles, adds, “Enjoy Seychelles now, as it only has four and a half hours of flight from Dubai and there is no time difference between Dubai and Seychelles.”
New hotel openings are also on the horizon. Cheval Blanc is expected to open later this year, as is Avani, and Canopy by Hilton. “We do have room capacity, but for us, it’s always important that we connect to important source markets we are targeting. In the region, in particular, we’d love to have more connectivity other than with the UAE, like with Saudi Arabia, for example.”
TOURISM INDUSTRY
The Seychelles tourism sector today is a success story as an indicator of the future performance of the Seychelles tourism industry, including increased visitor arrivals, increased government revenue, and contribution to output, employment, and the tourism economy.
Seychelles is highly dependent on tourism and fisheries.
Over the last 20 years, the number of island tourists more than doubled, reaching more than 380,000 visitors in 2019. Cruise tourism to the islands is also growing, expanding from 15,600 arrivals to 44,000 arrivals in less than ten years.
Tourism elevates residents’ quality of life by providing higher income-generating opportunities and boosting the economy. Prior to the pandemic, the industry contributed 42 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employed over two-thirds of the workforce.
TRAVEL AGENTS
“Travel agents are very important stakeholders for us and we work very closely with them. There is a lot of knowledge that we have to share with agents because we have multiple islands and multiple products. Our travel agents are very good for business because they are able to pass this complicated knowledge on to our visitors and explain why and how we are different from other beach destinations, as well.
“Not just in the region, but globally, we host a lot of property operators and travel agents throughout the year, in order to organise training. Depending on the budget at the time, we get them to experience the destinations as well.
“So anybody who really wants to sell the destination, just has to get in touch with us,” she says.