If the trends of international books are anything to go by, Seychelles is in a spot now. An official from the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) stated that the scenario in the tourism industry, however, might witness a surge during the last quarter of this year. The tourism sector faced the dead end when the country closed all its borders to contain the spread of COVID-19. Also, flight connectivity was stopped, which impacted the sector further.
Now, due to the spread of the Coronavirus, the archipelago announced that it will not allow cruise-ship passengers on its shores until 2022. Referring to this, Didier Dogley, the country’s Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, said that the ban is effective immediately, and will remain in place till the end of next year. Reportedly, the government will also introduce stimulus measures to boost the travel industry of the country, until it gains the impetus.
As per the news reports, the Seychelles Ports Authority welcomed the government’s decision, which has been looked upon as a move to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 from spreading further. An official in the know-how stated that the cruise industry has been a catalyst for spreading this disease across the world, and that the cruise industry is marching toward a catastrophic drop in revenue because of Coronavirus spread.
The official also added that the decision to ban cruise ships will obviously the revenue streams of the Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA); however, it is important to realise that the risk of COVID-19 resurgence in Seychelles far outweighs the opportunity cost of not having cruise port calls for the next two years. He added that port Victoria also remains the only gateway to the economy, and that the Seychelles Government cannot afford to compromise this strategic point of transit, which connects the country’s maritime industry to the rest of the world.
Apart from banning the cruise ships on its shores, Seychelles international airport will also not open till June 1.