Seychelles bans cruise ships until end of 2021

In order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the paradisiacal archipelago known for its giant turtles and white sandy beaches with granite boulders will not allow cruise ship passengers to disembark on its shores until the end of 2021, reports the local press.

According to the newspaper Seychelles Nation, the Ministry of Tourism has decided that cruise ships will no longer be accepted in the archipelago’s main port of Victoria as part of the fight against Covid-19.

It is not the first time that the famous Indian Ocean destination off the east coast of Africa has made such a decision.  In 2019, it suspended cruise ships until last December.

The initiative will not be without consequences for the archipelago, often favoured by newlyweds on their honeymoons, which is also a member of the Vanilla Islands Tourism Organisation.

The umbrella group includes other Indian Ocean islands, most notably Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius, which have banded together to pool resources for marketing and advertising campaigns that aim to attract more travellers to the region.

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