After an 18-month hiatus, the national airline of France
will operate twice-weekly flights from the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport on
Thursdays and Saturdays. The return flights from Mahe will be on Fridays and
Sundays.
The first flight on Sunday carried 203 guests who were given
a taste of creole hospitality as they received local souvenirs from the
Department of Tourism and experienced the lively spirit of the Seychellois
through live traditional music.
The director general for destination marketing, Bernadette
Willemin, said that "having Air France back on our shores is a great
moment for our destination. France remains a market that is performing well for
us despite the lack of direct flights and the fact that we were on the red
list."
She added that with "the availability of direct flights
to Seychelles as from today, we are forecasting the French market would not
only do well in terms of visitor arrivals but also to regain its place in the
top three markets."
Seychelles recorded 43,297 visitor arrivals from France in
2019 making it the country's second top market for that year. In 2021, the
island nation welcomed 8,620 visitors from France.
Willemin said that the removal of Seychelles from France's
red list and the return of Air France is expected to boost visitor arrivals.
"It will also help improve occupancy not just in
hotels, but also in the smaller guesthouses and self-catering establishments
and bring more visitors to Praslin, La Digue and the other islands," she
added.
On his side, French ambassador to Seychelles, Dominique Mas,
said, "We are happy to have a direct flight back from the Paris Charles De
Gaulle airport as it is now easier for French travellers to get to
Seychelles."
Mas said that having a direct connection will help ease the
journey of travellers to Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian
Ocean.
"The improvement of the sanitary situation in both
countries has indeed contributed to the restart of travels between France and
Seychelles. The decision to place Seychelles on the 'orange list' and the
arrival of Air France today reiterates the confidence of both governments in
the good functioning of their respective safety measures," he added.
With the return of Air France, there are now 11 airlines
connecting Seychelles to the rest of the world. - Seychelles News Agency.
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