The Seychelles is open for business – and Britons will soon be welcome

The Balearics, the Canaries, seven Greek islands – Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zante – Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica et al may have found themselves on the quarantine naughty step but, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, there’s a ‘safer’ paradise island that’s doing its best to entice visitors back after months of shutdown.

The Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 tropical islands off East Africa, has an almost non-existent covid rate. “There’s just one active Covid case and we have recorded zero deaths from coronavirus,” said Sherin Francis, CEO of the Seychelles Tourist Board, when we spoke late last week. “We reopened the airport on June 1 for repatriation flights and started welcoming chartered flights from selected low-risk countries on August 1.”

And from October 1, British tourists will finally be able to visit the small Indian Ocean country, without having to quarantine on their return, along with holidaymakers from six other ‘special status’ countries: France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and the United Arab Emirates.

Francis told The Telegraph: “We’ve missed our British guests terribly; they form part of our core markets. [...] So what we have done is adjust our criteria so that the British can finally come and enjoy their holiday in the Seychelles.”

What this means is that Britons will have to jump through lots of hoops during their holiday, including submitting to a preflight test; ensuring they have valid travel insurance with full medical coverage for the duration of their trip; and staying in a designated hotel for the first five days of their visit.

Nonetheless as winter looms, the news that the island nation is set to reopen to British tourists comes as a welcome boost for both travel-starved Brits looking to bask on a beach as white as a dentist's chair – and for the Seychelles' economy.

The Indian Ocean destination relies heavily on tourism, with one in five Seychellois workers directly employed in the industry. “We are the fourth most tourism-dependent nation in the world. We cannot live without tourism,” stressed Francis.

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It’s a stance shared by Daniele Fabbri, general manager at Hilton Northolme Resort & Spa on the main island of Mahé. Acknowledging the catastrophic economic impact, Fabbri told The Telegraph: “I am very sorry [that British holidaymakers have hitherto been banned from visiting] because British guests are our top clients in Seychelles.”

Despite “quite a positive August, we closed with an occupancy of 43 per cent, which given the situation we are quite happy with, and September looks to be the same.” Fabbri admitted that he “can’t wait to welcome British guests back to our hotel.”

Not that the five-star resort, compromised completely of private villas, went dark during lockdown. “We remained open because we had guests who got stuck in the Seychelles when all the airlines stopped,” revealed Fabbri. “Hilton Northolme Resort & Spa has a commitment to hospitality and we had a commitment to [our guests] who were disconnected from family, so we felt it was important to be there to support them.”

Fabbri and his team spent most of lockdown life working – “with a low occupancy, we finally managed to do our gardening and renovate our lobby, two restaurants, Wave and Mahe, and 56 villas” – and it’s evident that Hilton Northolme’s general manager is of the opinion that a productive pandemic has helped to stem the tide of mental health problems.

“What was amazing was that everyone out of their position did something – we had front-office people cutting the grass – to keep themselves motivated and busy,” shared Fabbri. “For sure, keeping the hotel open and continuing to work was psychologically important. We made the right decision and it really helped us in the long run to not lose focus on service and hospitality and be ready, in the right way.”

Both Francis and Fabbri believe an appetite for travel will return relatively swiftly and that the Seychelles will triumph in a post-Covid world. “People are looking for seclusion, to be outside with nature in a quiet, pristine environment, away from the crowdedness of the world – and the Seychelles offers all of this,” Francis explained animatedly.

But even simple pleasures will be different in the new normal. “Yes, you have to wear a mask and, on arrival, you have to do a test and follow a few procedures at the airport,” agreed Francis. “However the process is smooth and we have received a lot of compliments for it.”

Fabbri appeared similarly unruffled by the task at hand: “I think guests expect to find something different – they know they will have to go through screenings and various checks. After that, they can still enjoy Seychelles for the way it is.”

As for his hotel, Hilton Northolme Resort & Spa has introduced a raft of new health, safety and hygiene measures to reassure potential visitors “from social distancing to sanitising and the way we serve food [...] but as a brand, we have a culture of safety and security, so for us it was quite a normal step.”

Like hoteliers around the world, Fabbri and his team have been busy drawing up plans to woo back wary tourists amid the pandemic. To this end, and for those with deep pockets, Hilton Northolme Resort & Spa has “launched an exclusive private jet package to cater to those who don’t want to board a public plane post Covid-19. It includes accommodation in one of our villas with a private pool, luxury car transfer, butler service and all of our best resort activities,” said Fabbri.

Clearly the demand is there. “Forty-eight private planes arrived in the Seychelles throughout August alone. It’s phenomenal,” laughed a delighted Francis. “Pre-Covid, we did receive private planes but never as many as 48 a month! High-end travellers are opting to travel by private charter, as there are fewer touch points involved.”

Now the island nation just needs the Brits back and Francis urged those of us looking for some winter sun, with minimal risk, not to be reluctant about booking. “Some British travellers still have a fear of travelling, but don’t abandon the idea of a holiday in the Seychelles,” she implored.

“It’s totally worth it after being in confinement for a few months. If you’re ready to travel, rest assured that the safety and security of our visitors comes first. Alternatively you can still book your holiday and travel later when you feel more confident. Either way we look forward to welcoming British visitors back on our shores.”