Seychelles, a collection of hundreds of islands, occupies a very enviable spot in the Indian Ocean. Tourism is its major resource earner. This explains why the new tourist company, Silversea, has announced that its expedition ship – the Silver Discoverer – will now be based in the Indian Ocean for inter-island trips. The company says its operation will coincide with Seychelles’ cruise ship season, which lasts from October to April.
The Head of Seychelles Tourism Board, Sherin Francis, said that the addition of the new company will be a boost for the tourism sector. In Mr. Francis’ view, “A lot of our suppliers in Seychelles, be it big or small, stand to benefit with the increase in cruise ship visits to our shores, provided it is well managed and provided it is the right kind of cruises”.
According to the business development manager of the Seychelles Port Authority (SPA), Vincent Didon, the arrival of the new company will give a further boost to the Blue Economy concept that has become significance as part of the livelihood of maritime-forward countries such as Seychelles.
Didon said that “despite the containment of maritime insecurity issues in certain parts of the Indian Ocean region, Seychelles is fortunate that the number of cruise ship calls continues to improve.”
“More cruise liners want to position their vessels in the Indian Ocean region and including Seychelles on their cruise schedule. Costa Crosier and AIDA Cruises, which are two of eleven brands operated by one of the world’s largest cruise lines – the Carnival Group, have confirmed that they will be sending a bigger vessel to Seychelles for the 2018-2019 cruise seasons,” Didon said.
According to the SPA, the cruise season of 2017/2018 brought 41 cruise ship calls. Silversea Cruise Ships are known for their smaller sizes luxury ships for the discerning travelers wanting discovery in style.
