Seychelles and Emirates Airline Reaffirm Commitment to Growth

Emirates Airline, the UAE’s flagship airline, and Tourism Seychelles signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The MoU reiterated the airline’s commitment to the 115-island destination and outlined major cooperation projects to increase visibility and sales for the destination.  

The signing ceremony was held on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.

In the presence of Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, Mrs. Bernadette Willemin, Director General for Destination Marketing at Tourism Seychelles, and Mr Ahmed Fathallah, Tourism Seychelles for the Middle East, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean, and Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary Tourism Department.

The agreement details activities that aim to increase visitor traffic to Seychelles, such as trade shows, trade familiarization visits, exhibitions, and workshops. Emirates has also pledged its interest in assisting Tourism Seychelles’ Lospitalite Lafyerte Sesel award program, which recognizes service excellence in the tourism industry and affiliated sectors.  

During the signing ceremony, Mrs. Francis stated that Emirates has been wholly committed to the island destination since 2005.

“The signing of our annual agreements reassures us that, despite its small size, Seychelles remains a preferred partner for the airline.”

“We have no doubt that with the airline’s continued support, our destination will remain accessible to all visitors. We are especially thrilled to see Emirates’ enthusiasm in supporting our national campaign Lospitalite Lafyerte Sesel, and we are eager to collaborate on it.”  

Since 2005, Emirates has been a significant contributor to the expansion of Seychelles’ tourism industry. With two daily flights to Seychelles, the airline remains the biggest airline carrier for the destination.  

Seychelles has recorded 122,963 visitors since the beginning of the year, 4,823 of which are visitors from the UAE. With this renewed commitment from Emirates, Seychelles is poised to see continued growth in its tourism industry.

(Figure from NBS weekly visitors’ arrivals, week ending Sunday, April 30)