(Ecofin Agency) - In 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic,  tourist arrival fell sharply in Seychelles after years of steady growth.  From 428,000 visitors in 2019, the country recorded just 124,500 visitors the following year. To bring the sector back to its pre-pandemic levels, authorities have initiated a number of measures. 

 Seychelles recently launched Africa’s first tourism satellite account system, Seychelles News Agency reported earlier today. 

The system launched is a tool developed by international institutions (the UNWTO, the OECD Eurostat, and the United Nations Statistics Division) to harmonize and reconcile tourism data.  It aims to strengthen the tourism data system and help match tourism demand with supply. The program will be implemented by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), we learn. 

“At NBS we have an array of publications that we compile and publish each year, and the Tourism Satellite Accounts will become an additional publication that focuses directly on tourism. It will really target this sector and stakeholders in the sector who require more precise information to make a decision,” explained NBS CEO Laura Ahtime.

Tourism is the main driver of the Seychelles economy. According to tourism data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the sector contributes 16.5% to the archipelago's GDP.

Jean-Marc Gogbeu