During a courtesy call at State House this afternoon, President of the Republic Dr Patrick Herminie and UN Tourism Secretary-General, Ms Shaikha Al Nuwais explored strategic partnerships for stronger UN Tourism support in accelerating Seychelles' recovery and securing a permanent direct flight to Europe. The talks came ahead of Seychelles hosting the 69th UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa this week.

Briefing the Secretary-General on the toll the Middle East crisis has taken on the country's tourism industry, President Herminie said arrivals are now slowly recovering and that Seychelles hoped to return to its desired levels. Ms Al Nuwais said the disruption should be seen as an opportunity for Seychelles to come back stronger, and reaffirmed UN Tourism's support in any way that could assist the destination's recovery.

The two leaders also discussed air connectivity, with Seychelles reiterating its ambition for its national airline to secure a permanent direct flight to Europe, its top source market, and to attract additional European carriers to the destination. Attention also turned to the Chinese market, agreeing on the need for Seychelles to develop tourism facilities suited to Chinese visitors as the country works to diversify its source markets.

President Herminie also congratulated Ms Al Nuwais on becoming the first woman to lead UN Tourism in the organisation's 50-year history since taking office in 2026. He expressed pride in Seychelles hosting the Regional Commission meeting alongside the accompanying Thematic Conference on Strengthening Human Capital, and commended UN Tourism's leadership in advancing sustainable and inclusive tourism across the continent.

Ms Al Nuwais described Seychelles as one of Africa's leading examples of tourism best practices and said the Commission was adopting a new approach this year, inviting ministers from across Africa to share their own best practices with one another. She said education would remain a key focus area for UN Tourism, alongside efforts to attract investors into Africa's tourism sector and to facilitate practical solutions around sustainability.

Also present at the meeting were Minister for Tourism and Culture Mrs Amanda Bernstein, Principal Secretary for Tourism Mrs Sherin Francis, Mr Shijun Liu, Executive Director, UN Tourism, Ms Elcia Grandcourt, Regional Director for Africa, UN Tourism, and Mr Kojo Bentum-Williams, Senior Project Specialist, UN Tourism.

The Secretary-General's delegation also met with First Lady Veronique Herminie during the afternoon.

President Herminie will join African tourism leaders on Thursday for the official opening of the Regional Commission meeting.