The development of Seychelles’ first dedicated Cruise Tourism Strategy has officially begun, marking the next phase following the completion of The Cruise Sector in Seychelles: A Cost-Benefit Analysis (2026–2033), presented earlier this year.
On Tuesday, 14th October 2025, a presentation was held at the Botanical House for the Principal Secretary for Tourism, Mrs Sherin Francis, the Director General for Destination Planning, Mr Paul Lebon, and the Policy Team, to outline the upcoming consultation process. The meeting was led by representatives from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa (SRO-EA)—Mr Geoffrey Manyara, Ms Mary Kembaga, and Mr Rayviscic Ndivo.
As part of a scoping mission to guide the formulation of the national strategy, the UNECA team will conduct a series of stakeholder consultations throughout the week. Sessions are scheduled for Mahé (14th, 15th, and 20th October), La Digue (16th October), and Praslin (17th October).
The forthcoming Cruise Tourism Strategy aims to promote sustainable growth, enhance sector management, and align Seychelles with international best practices, ensuring the industry’s contribution remains economically, socially, and environmentally balanced.
Cruise tourism is one of the three pillars of Seychelles’ tourism industry, alongside land-based and yachting tourism. The sector has shown remarkable resilience through past disruptions and continues to play a key role in diversifying the country’s tourism offerings.
This initiative is a joint effort between the Tourism Department and UNECA SRO-EA, which has provided both technical and financial support for the project.
