On the opening day of Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Emirates, Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and Seychelles’ Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MTC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), renewing their longstanding partnership aimed at bolstering the travel and tourism industry of Seychelles.
Building on a successful collaboration established in 2013, the renewed agreement seeks to increase inbound visitor traffic to Seychelles through Emirates’ extensive global network. Under the MoU, the airline will continue to work closely with STB and MTC to promote the destination through joint marketing and advertising campaigns, as well as familiarisation trips for media representatives and travel trade partners, to experience first-hand what the destination has to offer and to promote its appeal to their audiences.
In parallel with these initiatives, Emirates operates two daily flights between Dubai and Mahé contributing to the steady growth of visitor arrivals to the island nation which increased by 13 percent as Seychelles welcomed almost 400,000 travellers in 2025, compared to 353,000 during the year 2024.
Signing the MoU in Dubai was Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, West Asia and Indian Ocean; Amanda Bernstein, Minister of Tourism and Culture and Vesna Rakic, Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Tourism Board in the presence of other Emirates airline representatives.
Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, West Asia and Indian Ocean, commented: “Our partnership with the Seychelles Tourism Board reflects Emirates’ ongoing commitment to supporting the destination’s tourism ambitions. With two daily flights connecting our network to Seychelles, we are well positioned to help drive visitor demand and further contribute to the growth of the country’s tourism sector. We hope to continue to play a major role in driving growth in tourist arrivals which has more than doubled since 2021.”
Vesna Rakić, Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Tourism Board, said: “For over two decades, Emirates has connected Seychelles with the world and has become one of our most longstanding and valued airline partners. Its double-daily service through Dubai – one of Seychelles’ most important international aviation hubs – provides essential connectivity to key markets across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and beyond.
“Renewing this agreement builds on a relationship founded on consistent service and close cooperation, while enabling us to strengthen joint marketing and travel trade engagement. We deeply value Emirates’ continued commitment to Seychelles and look forward to further strengthening this partnership in the years ahead.”
Tourist arrivals to the island comprise first-time and a high percentage of repeat visitors that visit the island for holidays due to its appeal and pristine, sandy beaches including the UAE, Germany, Russia, France, UK and South Africa.
Emirates and Air Seychelles
In 2025, Emirates and Air Seychelles established a codeshare partnership that offers seamless connections for Emirates customers connecting on Air Seychelles-operated flights from Mahe to Praslin Island. The partnership allows Emirates to extend the convenience of island-to-island connectivity to its customers, to one of the most popular hot spots for tourists.
Emirates operates 14 flights per week between Dubai and Mahe, with the majority of travellers venturing from France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom for their holidays in the Seychelles.
