Africa’s richest island economy feels tourism squeeze as visitor arrivals decline

Seychelles’ tourism industry is showing fresh signs of losing momentum after powering the island nation’s economy to record growth last year, with new data revealing fewer international visitors and a sharp decline in cruise tourism as global travel headwinds begin to weigh on Africa’s richest island economy.

• Seychelles’ visitor arrivals fell in May and remain sharply lower for the year, signalling a slowdown after the island nation recorded a tourism-driven economic boom in 2025.
• The decline comes weeks after the IMF warned that weaker tourism demand and Middle East-related travel disruptions would slow the country’s economy.
• Europe remains Seychelles’ largest tourism market, accounting for nearly three-quarters of visitors, while cruise arrivals recorded the sharpest decline.
• Because tourism underpins much of the country’s economy, the slowdown could weigh on growth, foreign exchange earnings and public finances. 

According to the Seychelles National Bureau of Statistics, the country welcomed 27,201 visitors in May 2026, down 3.4% from 28,161 in the same month a year earlier. The figure included 27,172 stopover visitors and 29 transit passengers.

The slowdown extends beyond a single month. Between January and May, stopover visitor arrivals fell 11.7% to 145,858, compared with 165,155 during the corresponding period in 2025, suggesting demand has weakened after last year’s exceptional performance.

The decline comes just weeks after the International Monetary Fund warned that Seychelles’ economy was becoming more vulnerable to weaker tourism demand and geopolitical disruptions.

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The Fund expects economic growth to slow sharply to 1.5% in 2026 from an estimated 5.1% in 2025, when record tourist arrivals helped drive one of the country’s strongest economic performances in recent years.

The IMF said the conflict in the Middle East poses a particular risk because around 60% of tourists travelling to Seychelles connect through Doha, Dubai or Abu Dhabi, making the island nation highly exposed to disruptions affecting major Gulf aviation hubs.

The country also imports about 95% of its energy and much of its food, leaving it vulnerable to higher shipping and transport costs.

Cruise tourism under pressure

Cruise tourism recorded the sharpest decline during the month. Only 1,767 cruise passengers visited Seychelles for the day in May, representing a 43.8% fall from 3,146 recorded a year earlier. A further 14 passengers disembarked and 14 embarked on cruise vessels during the month.

Over the first five months of the year, the country received 14,943 day cruise visitors, down 2.2% from the same period in 2025.

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Although cruise tourism suffered the steepest percentage decline, overnight visitors remain the backbone of Seychelles’ tourism industry because they account for the vast majority of visitor spending on hotels, restaurants, transport and leisure activities.

Europe remains the backbone

Europe continued to dominate Seychelles’ tourism market during the first five months of 2026.

European travellers accounted for 106,142 visitors, representing 72.8% of all arrivals. Asia followed with 21,901 visitors, or 15%, while Africa contributed 10,548 visitors, equivalent to 7.2% of the total.

The figures also show Seychelles continues to attract new travellers, with 88.4% of stopover visitors visiting the country for the first time. Repeat visitors accounted for 11.6%, slightly higher than 10.3% recorded a year earlier.

Tourism is the backbone of Seychelles’ economy, supporting growth, employment, foreign exchange earnings and government revenue. The country enjoyed a record tourism year in 2025, helping lift economic growth above 5%, strengthen public finances and rebuild foreign exchange reserves.

However, the latest tourism figures suggest that momentum is beginning to soften, reinforcing the IMF’s warning that external shocks, weaker travel demand and higher global transport costs could weigh on one of Africa’s most tourism-dependent economies during the remainder of 2026.