VICTORIA, Seychelles — The 2024-2025 cruise ship season has closed with a marked reduction in the number of port calls and passengers compared with the previous season, the tourism department and the Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA) announced at a joint press conference on Thursday at the SPA head office in Port Victoria, prior to the arrival of the last cruise ship, Seven Seas Voyager.
According to SPA’s chief executive, Sony Payet, the number of port calls for the 2024-2025 season were 35 compared to 42 calls for the 2023-2024 season, while the number of passengers dropped from 47,465 the previous season to 31,605 this time around. He noted the decrease in port calls by seven vessels and 33.4 per cent in passengers could have been as a result of the volatile situation worldwide, mainly due to armed conflicts that are affecting shipping pathways.
Mr Payet said the upcoming season, which will run from October 11, 2025, looks good with a forecast of 44 port calls and around 45,000 passengers. “We are looking forward for the 2025-2026 season where we are hoping to attract more vessels to Seychelles,” he said, adding that the port was looking at ways to further improve its facilities to cater for cruise ships. For her part, the principal secretary for Tourism, Sherin Francis, expressed satisfaction with the collaboration which had allowed the season to run, and called for continued cooperation to ensure that the cruise business continues to grow.
