July arrivals edge up 1.8% as Seychelles sees tentative recovery following months of disruption to Middle East air connectivity
Seychelles recorded a modest recovery in international visitor arrivals in July, but the Indian Ocean destination remains significantly behind last year’s pace after months of disruption to international air travel.
The archipelago welcomed 31,628 visitors in July 2026, an increase of 1.8% from the 31,068 arrivals recorded in July 2025, according to the latest data from the Seychelles National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The July improvement, however, was not enough to reverse the destination’s overall decline. Seychelles received 197,983 visitors between January and July, compared with 223,475 during the corresponding seven-month period of 2025 — a decrease of 11.4%.
The latest figures mark a tentative turning point following several months of steep year-on-year declines. Arrivals fell by 37.2% in March, 28.4% in April, 3.4% in May and 24.8% in June. January and February were the exceptions, recording increases of 7.2% and 14.8%, respectively.
Middle East disruption weighs on connectivity
The downturn coincided with disruption to international aviation caused by the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States. The impact was particularly significant for Seychelles because travellers from major European and other international markets frequently rely on Middle Eastern aviation hubs to reach the destination.
The Office of the President of Seychelles acknowledged in July that the Middle East crisis had taken a toll on the country’s tourism industry, while noting that visitor arrivals were beginning to recover. Discussions with UN Tourism also focused on measures to support the sector’s recovery and strengthen international air connectivity.
The disruption resulted in temporary airport closures and the suspension or reduction of services through important transit hubs. Although flights subsequently resumed, capacity initially remained constrained.
The aviation disruption has highlighted the importance of direct and reliable air links for Seychelles, particularly from its major European source markets. During the disruption, Air Seychelles introduced temporary direct services to Paris and Rome to help maintain connectivity with key European markets.
Europe remains Seychelles’ leading market
Europe continued to dominate Seychelles’ tourism landscape in July, generating 20,336 arrivals, equivalent to 64.3% of the monthly total.
Asia followed with 6,910 visitors, while Africa contributed 2,905 arrivals. The regional performance over the first seven months of the year was more mixed.
Africa was the only major source region to register year-to-date growth, with arrivals increasing 9.6% to 15,825. European arrivals declined 11.2% to 138,291, while arrivals from Asia fell 18.7% to 33,803. Visitors from the Americas declined 16.1%, while arrivals from Oceania decreased by a more modest 3.5%.
The continued strength of African demand provides a positive signal for Seychelles as the destination seeks to diversify its international visitor base and reduce its exposure to disruptions affecting long-haul travel corridors.
Leisure travel continues to dominate
Seychelles remained overwhelmingly a leisure destination in July, with 28,054 visitors travelling for holidays out of the month’s 31,628 arrivals.
The destination also recorded 2,537 honeymoon visitors and 624 business travellers, highlighting the continued importance of Seychelles’ luxury leisure and honeymoon segments.
The average length of stay was nine nights, compared with 9.7 nights in July 2025.
The island of Mahé, the country’s largest and most populated island, remained the principal base for visitors, accommodating 21,792 arrivals, or 68.9% of the July total. Praslin followed with 5,226 visitors.
Hotels accounted for 72.5% of visitor accommodation during the month, underlining the continuing importance of the formal hospitality sector to the destination.
Repeat visitors provide resilience
The latest data also points to the importance of repeat tourism for Seychelles.
Of the visitors recorded in July, 2,848, or around 9%, were returning visitors. The United Arab Emirates was the leading source of repeat travellers, followed by Russia, Germany, France and South Africa.
While the overall tourism market remains under pressure, the presence of a substantial repeat-visitor segment offers some resilience for the destination. Seychelles has built a strong international reputation in luxury holidays, honeymoons and island escapes, making visitor loyalty an important component of long-term demand.
Recovery depends on restoring air capacity
The July increase provides an early indication that Seychelles’ tourism market may be beginning to stabilise after the disruption experienced during the first half of the year. However, the 11.4% year-to-date decline means the destination still has considerable ground to recover before matching 2025 performance.
The Seychelles National Bureau of Statistics continues to publish visitor-arrival data based on passenger cross-border movements, with tourism statistics compiled in line with international tourism-statistics recommendations.
For the remainder of 2026, restoring reliable air connectivity, particularly through major European and Middle Eastern hubs, will be crucial to rebuilding visitor momentum.
With July arrivals moving back into positive territory, Seychelles has a potentially important opportunity to regain lost ground during the second half of the year — provided international flight capacity and traveller confidence continue to recover.
