The Cruise Sector in Seychelles: A Cost-Benefit Analysis (2026-2033) report was officially handed over to the Tourism Department during a ceremony held on Friday 27th June 2025, marking a significant milestone in providing a rigorous, data-driven examination of the sector’s multidimensional impacts, quantifying both tangible economic gains and the often-overlooked social and environmental costs.
This project was made possible through a strategic partnership between the Tourism Department and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa (SRO-EA), which provided both technical and financial support for the project.
Undertaken over a ten-month period from April 2024 to February 2025, the report offers an in-depth assessment of the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of cruise tourism in Seychelles. Drawing on extensive stakeholder consultations and robust data analysis, the report will now serve as the foundation for the development of a national Cruise Tourism Strategy.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Principal Secretary for Tourism, Mrs Sherin Francis, noted that the report demonstrates the importance of data-driven planning in securing the future of the sector:
“This initiative reaffirms our commitment to managing cruise tourism in a way that benefits our economy while preserving our environment and respecting our communities. The findings offer a clear pathway to a more sustainable and inclusive future.”
The handover ceremony also reaffirmed the strong collaboration between the Tourism Department and UNECA, highlighting the shared commitment to long-term sustainability and resilience of the tourism sector.
The next phase of the project will focus on the development of a dedicated Cruise Tourism Strategy aimed at guiding long-term development and ensuring a balanced approach to growth.
Cruise tourism is one of the three core pillars of the local tourism industry, alongside land-based and yachting tourism. The sector has shown resilience in the face of past disruptions, from piracy between 2009 and 2014 to the COVID-19 suspension from 2020 to 2022. The cruise season is seasonal, with most operations taking place between October and May. In
2024, Seychelles welcomed 40,185 cruise passengers across 41 port calls, with vessels ranging in capacity from 184 to 2,700 passengers.
The Cruise Sector in Seychelles: A Cost-Benefit Analysis (2026-2033) report can be accessed on the Tourism Department’s website.
