Seychelles broke its record for tourist arrivals yesterday when a Frenchman became the 161,274th visitor this year.

This has brought the Seychelles Tourism Board’s (STB) target of over 170,000 visitors for 2010 well within sight and breaks the previous record set in 2007.

If the 170,000 mark is reached, it will represent growth of around 10% on the 2009 figure of 157,541.

The tourist – Thierry Olivier – arrived on the HM 007/AF952 flight from Paris together with his partner Marjorie for an eight-day break away from the freezing weather in France.

The couple were treated to a special welcome on arrival at Seychelles International Airport, where they were met by STB chairman Barry Faure and other staff of the board.

They were presented with a bag of souvenirs and books on Seychelles, as well as a flower garland for the record-breaker. To mark the record, they also received fast-track service and VIP treatment.

The couple – who are staying at Le Méridien Fisherman’s Cove – said they were looking forward to their holiday, their first time in Seychelles.

“I am very honoured to be your record-breaking visitor and also happy to know that you will now have a new record this year,” said Mr Olivier, who works in the audit field and comes from Strasbourg.

When asked why he chose Seychelles for his holiday, he answered: “It is this paradise destination which we had wanted to visit for a long time.”

Since it is now very cold in France it felt very good to be in Seychelles, he added.

The couple were very impressed with what they had noticed of the natural beauty and greenery of Seychelles and said they could not have chosen a better destination for their holiday.

They also intend to visit other islands such as Praslin and La Digue during their stay here.

Mr Faure said: “Considering forward bookings until the end of December, we are heading for 10% growth on the figure of last year. This would mean over 170,000 visitors for this year.”

He described 2010 as a very good year for tourism, with different partners playing their part to ensure this major milestone for Seychelles.

“The new government and private sector partnership has played a great role in getting more people to work together and to achieve positive results such as the one we are marking today,” he said.

“The tourist traffic towards Seychelles has picked up during this year, and we have also stepped up our marketing in all markets to ensure arrival numbers are on the increase.

“Most of our key source markets are performing well, and we continue to work to attract a greater market share of business from those traditional markets while also tapping into new ones where we can see the potential.”

The STB has been monitoring the arrival figures in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics.

 

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