Tourists start returning to Seychelles, world’s most vaccinated country

Tourists are once again returning to Seychelles after the Indian Ocean archipelago, renowned for its pristine beaches and jungle landscapes, vaccinated more people per head against COVID-19 than any other country.

The number of tourists to Seychelles plunged 92 per cent to 6,785 in the first quarter of 2021 as international travel ground to a near-halt. The country has since reopened and several airlines have resumed flights.

The latest numbers “are not pre-COVID numbers but it is a significant improvement”, Naadir Hassan, the minister of finance, economic planning and trade, said in an interview on Thursday, Bloomberg reported.

Hassan or Bloomberg did not give any figures.

Also read: Vaccine for all by December-end: Take a look at what the data says

The minister said that, despite a recent increase in infections, which has led to new restrictions, including a ban on intermingling of households and sporting events, the country is determined not to once again shut down tourism, its biggest sector.

“When we close down our main sector, that is tourism, is impacted,” Hassan said. “That means we do not have revenues coming in, impacting immediately our exchange rate, and the government will not be able to sustain its economy.”

Last year’s COVID-induced lockdown led to a crash in tourism revenues Seychelles generates. That will require it to be more disciplined in its spending and reduce support for Air Seychelles, the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation and other state entities, the minister said.

Seychelles’ fiscal deficit is projected to fall to 15.3 per cent of the gross domestic product this year from 18 per cent in 2020, the budget released in February showed. Seychelles is currently in talks with the International Monetary Fund about providing budgetary support.

Its debt equates to about 100 per cent of its GDP. It owed 18.1 billion rupees ($1.1 billion) at the end of last year, just over half of it to external creditors.