Seychelles reaffirmed its commitment to data-driven tourism governance through its participation in the 21st meeting of the UN Tourism Committee on Statistics, held on the sidelines of the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly in Riyadh.
The Principal Secretary for Tourism, Mrs. Sherin Francis, represented Seychelles at the two-day meeting and renewed its membership on the Committee for the period 2023–2027. Mrs Francis was accompanied by Chris Matombe, Director for strategic planning at the tourism department.
During her intervention, Mrs. Francis underscored the importance of statistics and evidence in guiding Seychelles’ tourism strategy, describing data as “the foundation of how we govern tourism, protect our fragile ecosystems, and secure our nation’s long-term prosperity.”
She highlighted how Seychelles has effectively translated data insights into tangible policy actions—such as implementing a moratorium on large hotel developments supported by the carrying capacity study, developing the Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework, and designing the upcoming Visitor Use Management Plan to regulate visitor flow and safeguard natural assets.
Mrs. Francis also presented the country’s Cost–Benefit Analysis of the Cruise Ship Sector, a UNECA-led study assessing the true economic, environmental, and social impacts of cruise tourism. The findings and other studies done will guide the formulation of a National Cruise Strategy to ensure balanced growth and equitable community benefits.
Emphasising the growing role of tourism intelligence, Mrs. Francis noted Seychelles’ integration of big data analytics into its marketing and recovery strategies—particularly during the pandemic, when data helped identify new markets and align campaigns with evolving traveller sentiments.
Looking ahead, Seychelles plans to make tourism intelligence more accessible through interactive dashboards, expand predictive modelling for visitor arrivals, and strengthen data literacy across tourism institutions. By deepening collaboration with UN Tourism and international partners, Seychelles continues to position itself as a leader in sustainable, data-informed tourism development.
