Seychelles has unveiled its Cruise Tourism Strategy 2026–2033 following a two-year consultation process with UNECA. The plan highlights economic benefits alongside environmental challenges and sets a roadmap for sustainable growth, improved governance, and increased local value retention in the country’s evolving cruise tourism sector.
Mahe, Seychelles – The Government of Seychelles, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), has formally presented the key findings and strategic directions of the Seychelles Cruise Tourism Strategy (2026–2033), marking the conclusion of a comprehensive two-year analytical and consultative process.
The milestone follows a stakeholder validation exercise culminating in a dedicated workshop held at the Savoy Hotel on Mahé. The workshop, conducted in partnership with UNECA, was followed by a high-level presentation and official handover of the final strategy document to government leadership.
The event brought together senior officials, including Minister for Tourism and Culture Amanda Bernstein; Minister for Local Government and Inner Islands Eveline Rose; Principal Secretary for Tourism Sherin Francis; Principal Secretary for Energy and Climate Change Tony Imaduwa; Principal Secretary for Culture Cecile Kalebi; Principal Secretary for Investment Michael Nalletamby; Principal Secretary for Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine David Bianchi; and Principal Secretary for Blue Economy Veronique Nibourette.
Both sessions were led by UNECA’s Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa (SRO-EA), with participation from Geoffrey Manyara, Rosemary Bagiza, and Rayviscic Ndivo.
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Evidence-Based Strategy for Sustainable Growth
The newly validated strategy is grounded in a detailed cost-benefit analysis and extensive stakeholder consultations conducted since 2024. Findings indicate that while cruise tourism provides substantial economic benefits—such as job creation, foreign exchange earnings, and opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises—it also presents environmental and social challenges.
Key concerns identified include pressure on marine ecosystems, strain on infrastructure capacity, and impacts on community well-being due to high visitor volumes.
Despite these challenges, the analysis confirms that the cruise sector delivers a net positive economic contribution to Seychelles. However, it highlights that only a limited share of cruise passenger spending is retained within the domestic economy, pointing to significant revenue leakage.
Strategic Priorities and Investment Framework
To address these gaps, the strategy outlines a roadmap to position Seychelles as a high-value, sustainable cruise destination. Core priorities include:
- Upgrading port infrastructure
- Strengthening environmental protection measures
- Enhancing data systems for better planning and monitoring
- Increasing local business participation in the cruise value chain
The strategy also proposes a multi-tiered governance framework to improve coordination across stakeholders. Implementation is estimated to require an investment of SCR 2.32 billion, to be financed through a blended approach combining public funding, public-private partnerships, development partner support, and industry contributions.
Balancing Growth with Sustainability
Speaking during the engagement, Principal Secretary for Tourism Sherin Francis emphasized the importance of a balanced approach:
“We have spent the last two years taking a closer look at the cruise sector to fully understand both its benefits and its costs. What the analysis has shown is that while the sector already contributes significantly to our economy, there are also real environmental and social impacts that must be addressed.
The key message is that Seychelles stands to benefit even more if we organize ourselves better, by strengthening regulation, improving coordination, and ensuring that more of the value generated is retained within our economy and shared with our communities.”
With validation complete, the Seychelles Cruise Tourism Strategy (2026–2033) will now guide the next phase of development and implementation of the country’s cruise tourism sector, aligning growth with national sustainability priorities.
