Tourism in Seychelles

Tourism is the most important non-governmental sector of the economy of Seychelles. Approximately 15 percent of the formal labor force is directly employed in tourism, and employment in construction, banking, transportation and other activities is closely linked to the tourism industry. Tourists enjoy the coral beaches of Seychelles and the opportunities for water sports. The wildlife in the archipelago is also a major attraction.

History
The tourism industry was born with the completion of the Seychelles International Airport in 1971, rapidly advancing to a level of 77,400 arrivals in 1979. After declining in the early 1980s, growth was restored by introducing casinos, vigorous and more competitive advertising campaigns After a decline to 90,050 in 1991 due to the Persian Gulf War, the number of visitors increased to more than 116,000 in 1993. In 1991, France was the main source of tourists, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and South Africa. Europe provided 80 percent of the total tourists and Africa, mostly South Africa and Reunion, most of the rest. European tourists are considered the most lucrative in terms of length of stay and expenditure per capita.

Under the 1990-94 development plan, which emphasizes that the growth of tourism should not be at the expense of the environment, the number of beds on the islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue should be limited to 4,000. The increase in total capacity will be achieved by developing the outer islands. To avoid future threats to the natural attractions of the islands, 150,000 tourists per year are considered the maximum ceiling. The higher cost of accommodation and travel, deficiencies in services and maintenance of facilities, and a limited range of detours, harm Seychelles to attract tourists at the expense of other Indian Ocean tourist destinations

Statistics
The direct contribution of the tourism sector to GDP was estimated at 50 percent, and provides about 70 percent of total foreign exchange earnings. Although it is difficult to measure, the import content of tourism expenditures is high, so net tourism revenues are significantly lower. [2] In 2000 there were 130,046 tourist arrivals, including more than 104,000 from Europe. In the same year, Seychelles had 2,479 hotel rooms with 5,010 full beds up to 52% capacity. The income of tourists was US $ 112 million in 1999. In 2002, the US Department of State. UU He estimated the average daily cost of staying in Seychelles at $ 246 per day. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 230,272 tourists visited Seychelles in 2013 compared to 208,034 in 2012