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# [SEYCHELLES] Tourism: arrivals rebound +7.2% in January 2026, Europe remains the engine
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/seychelles-tourisme-les-arrivees-rebondissent-de-7-2-en-janvier-2026-leurope-reste-la-locomotive-en/
- Published: 2026-07-17T02:59:05.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-17T02:59:05.000Z
- Description: Tourist arrivals in Seychelles surge +7.2% in January 2026, after the 2025 slump (-11.7%). Europe accounts for 74% of visitors, Asia is growing.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Seychelles, tourisme, Économie, Revue matinale, #en

After the air-disruption-driven slump of 2025 — which saw a 11.7% drop in arrivals — Seychelles tourism is staging a meaningful rebound. In January 2026, the archipelago welcomed 28,791 stopover visitors, compared to 26,850 in January 2025, a rise of +7.2%, according to Tourism Analytics data.

## Europe dominates, Asia advances

The geographic breakdown confirms the archipelago's structural dependence on the European market: 21,362 tourists came from Europe, representing 74.2% of total arrivals. Asia accounted for 14.4% (4,135 visitors) and Africa 5.7% (1,653 visitors). The loyalty profile is improving: 12.6% of visitors are repeat visitors (versus 12.4% in January 2025), a sign that the Seychelles experience generates growing attachment.

## A sector under structural pressure

The January 2026 increase is encouraging, but the road ahead is long. The year 2025 was severely affected by a reduction in direct air links, causing a 11.7% loss in arrivals that weighed on the entire economy — tourism representing around 25% of Seychelles GDP and over 70% of foreign exchange earnings. Seychelles pioneered sustainable financing: its blue bond, launched in 2018 (USD 15 million), inspired Gabon and Ecuador and remains a model for ocean finance among Small Island Developing States.

## Why it matters

This +7.2% rebound comes as Seychelles seeks to diversify its source markets and develop its blue economy. For tourism operators across the Indian Ocean — Reunion, Mauritius, Maldives — the Seychelles recovery sends a positive signal about the resilience of international demand for high-end Indian Ocean tourism.

*Sources: Tourism Analytics, IPS News — January 2026*