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# [SEYCHELLES] Cruises: 41 Calls, 8 World Firsts, and a 2026-2033 Strategy Anchored in Sustainable Premium Tourism
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/seychelles-croisieres-41-escales-8-premieres-mondiales-et-une-strategie-2026-2033-tournee-vers-le-premium-durable-en/
- Published: 2026-07-19T13:40:35.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-19T13:40:35.000Z
- Description: The Seychelles' 2025-2026 cruise season ended with 41 calls (+17%) and 8 world firsts. The archipelago launches a 2026-2033 strategy backed by SCR 2.32 billion to drive sustainable premium tourism and maximise local economic returns.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Seychelles, tourisme, Investissement, Clôture, #en

**The Seychelles' 2025-2026 cruise season closed on 27 June with 41 calls at Port Victoria — up from 35 the previous season — and 8 maiden visits from new operators. The archipelago has since validated a national cruise tourism strategy for 2026-2033, backed by an estimated SCR 2.32 billion investment.**

## A Record Season by Number of Calls

MV Viking Yi Dun made the season's final call on 27 June 2026, wrapping what the archipelago is calling a historic edition. With 41 calls logged at Port Victoria — a 17% increase on the 2024-2025 season — the Seychelles successfully attracted new shipping lines. Eight maiden visits reflect renewed operator interest in a destination whose identity is built on exclusivity.

Historical data puts volumes in context: cruise arrivals stood at 15,634 in 2010 before reaching 68,000 during the 2023-2024 season. The trend remains upward, but the new strategy aims to steer this growth rather than simply absorb it.

## The 2026-2033 Strategy: Quality Over Quantity

Developed over two years in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and its Eastern Africa sub-regional office, the 2026-2033 cruise tourism strategy marks a major strategic shift. The archipelago is embracing a high value, low volume positioning: priority goes to luxury, expedition and smaller cruise vessels over mass-market ships that overwhelm ports and dilute local economic impact.

The estimated budget reaches SCR 2.32 billion, to be mobilised through blended financing combining public funds, public-private partnerships and development lenders. Investment priorities cover Port Victoria's port infrastructure, environmental monitoring systems and data platforms enabling dynamic planning.

## The Local Value Retention Challenge

The strategy is blunt about its central challenge: only a small proportion of passenger spending stays in the local economy. In plain terms, cruise passengers spend, but much of that value leaves with shipping lines or foreign suppliers. The plan targets stronger links with local businesses — artisans, guides, restaurants, producers — to maximise value retained on-island.

A multi-level governance structure is proposed to coordinate efforts between government, the private sector and development partners. The strategy also complements the separate tourism action plan 2026-2030 endorsed by the Seychelles Cabinet.

## Why It Matters

The Seychelles is betting that fewer but better-selected cruise passengers generate more net revenue per visitor and less pressure on the marine ecosystems that constitute their primary competitive asset. A model that every Indian Ocean tourist destination — from Réunion to Mayotte — is watching closely, as over-tourism increasingly threatens the natural and social balance of island economies.