Putin, Seychelles president discuss boosting Russian tourist flow on diplomatic anniversary

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed with Seychelles President Patrick Herminie ways to increase the number of Russian tourists in the East African country as well as boosting economic ties.

Opening the meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Putin pointed out that this year Russia and the Seychelles will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

“We are very pleased that this anniversary year begins with your visit to the Russian Federation. Of course, the volume of our trade and economic ties is still modest — we have work to do, and your visit in this regard is very timely,” he said.

Putin noted that the two states have “developed very good relations on international platforms,” and thanked Herminie for supporting many of Russia’s initiatives within the UN.

“The flow of tourists from the Russian Federation to the Seychelles is growing. In the overall tourist flow, our tourists already account for no less than 15%. This is a good indicator today, but there are prospects for expanding and increasing the number of our tourists visiting your country,” he said.

Putin thanked Herminie for creating favorable conditions for Russian citizens, noting the topic deserves a separate discussion.

“I have invited representatives of the government and the central bank to this meeting — we have things to discuss, including the development of the tourism sector,” he said.

The Russian leader also noted that representatives of Seychelles took part in the Russia-Africa Summit.

“We are preparing the third such event, and I very much hope that the Seychelles will also participate in the third summit at a high level. Once again, I thank you for your visit, and I want to congratulate you on the successful conduct of your election campaign and on your victory in the presidential elections,” he said.

For his part, Herminie thanked Putin for supplies of energy resources.

“We are very grateful for the fact that in these difficult times, as a result of the war in the Middle East and Western Asia, Russia has once again demonstrated its friendship. You helped us last week, and we know that additional deliveries will arrive tomorrow,” he said.

As for tourism, he said Russians are visiting the Seychelles in large numbers, making up a significant share of tourists in the country.

“In difficult times, Aeroflot played a very important role — it ensured an uninterrupted flow of tourists. As I mentioned, because of this war, the number of tourists coming to us has decreased by 40% — mainly due to the fact that airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad, which used to fly via the Middle East, have ceased their flights to our country,” he said.