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On average, 35 cruise ships include Seychelles as one of their stopover countries every year, and more are expected next year.
 
Cruise ships are important to Seychelles’ economy since these visitors bring numerous spill-over benefits. Various partners and stakeholders benefit, and indeed many businesses are very much dependent on the clients from these vessels.

The Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA) collaborates with many partners, both on the local and international scene, to ensure the benefits of visiting cruise ships are stretched to a maximum. 

In September, SPA chief executive Lt Col Andre Ciseau attended the annual general meeting of the Ports Association of the Indian Ocean Islands, whose members include Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Reunion and Seychelles.

Since one of the association’s aims is to promote cruise ships and superyachts in the Indian Ocean region, members regularly take part in trade fairs.

This year Seychelles was represented by Creole Travel Services, Mason’s Travel and Seashell Travel at the Hamburg Seatrade Fair held in September.

Lt Col Ciseau said the fair was a success and it is the aim of the SPA to continue working closely with various partners to promote Seychelles internationally as the cruise destination of choice.

Port Victoria is a high-security area governed by various international maritime rules and regulations, and the level of safety is intensified during cruise ship season to ensure the safety of passengers and maintain its reputation as a safe and reliable port.

Despite the problem of pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean, Port Victoria remains one of the safest ports in this region.

Various international governments and institutions are helping Seychelles combat piracy. Indeed, the Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration, a local partner of the SPA, hosted the Djibouti Code of Conduct meeting, alongside the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), from October 12-16.

The conference, which targeted piracy and armed robbery at sea, boasted 60-plus delegates from 21 countries, among whom were representatives from the IMO and Interpol alongside local agencies like the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces and the Seychelles Coast Guard.

This high-level meeting showed Seychelles’ commitment to combating the problem head-on and finding viable solutions.

It is the firm opinion of Lt Col Ciseau, who is also the new chairman of the South Asia Regional Port Security Cooperative (SARPSC), that the services being offered to visiting cruise ships should remain of the highest quality despite the difficulties we are facing.

We should intensify our efforts to promote Seychelles and ensure we deliver the best services to our clients from these ships, he said.

In his capacity as chairman of the SARPSC, Lt Col Ciseau said he will continue to network and seek maximum help and support from partners in the active fight against piracy and armed robbery against ships so as to create safer seas for cruise ships and other vessels.