Local tourism trade partners and Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) representatives from overseas and at home gathered at Eden Bleu for the Board’s annual Marketing Meeting, providing a platform to assess 2026 performance, examine global challenges and opportunities, and the over-arching direction for 2027.
The meeting came at a pivotal time for Seychelles tourism, following a challenging first half of 2026 marked by disruptions in the Middle East. STB used the occasion to outline its response to the crisis, including strengthened market diversification efforts designed to build greater resilience against future external shocks.
The latest performance review showed encouraging signs of recovery, with visitor arrivals gaining momentum in July and August after a slower start to the year. Russia is currently leading the rebound, recording around 6,000 more visitors than the same period last year.
While several traditional markets remain under pressure, emerging and smaller markets, including China, South Africa, Nigeria and Turkey, are registering positive growth and helping to support the destination’s overall recovery.
Presenting STB’s roadmap, Chief Executive Officer Ms Vesna Rakic said 2026 had focused on establishing direction, strengthening market intelligence and deepening consultations with the tourism trade. The roadmap sets 2027 as a year of transition to implementation of strategies, followed by evaluation, performance measurement and strategy reinforcement from 2028-2030, culminating in 2031 with a review of outcomes and preparation for the next strategic phase.
The economic importance of tourism was also highlighted through a presentation by the Central Bank of Seychelles, which examined tourism earnings and the sector’s contribution to sustaining the national economy.
Opening the meeting, Minister of Tourism and Culture Mrs Amanda Bernstein acknowledged the continued work undertaken during the transition and re-establishment of STB, stressing that tourism marketing efforts never stopped.
“STB’s role goes beyond generating arrivals, focusing instead on building awareness and preference, supporting the conversion of interest into bookings and ultimately increasing the long-term economic value of the Seychelles brand,” she said.
The meeting concluded with one-to-one sessions between industry stakeholders and STB’s overseas market representatives, focusing on 2027 priorities, market opportunities and planned activities to strengthen Seychelles’ position in key markets.
