91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, romance capital of the Indian Ocean |15 July 2021
Newlyweds account for almost 1 in 10 visitors to 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Islands in 2021
The numbers speak loud for the exotic Indian Ocean archipelago, with almost 5,000 people choosing to make 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ their wedding or honeymoon destination so far this year ‒ showcasing how 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ remains a preferred destination for travellers from across the globe.
Signalling a positive recovery for international tourism, this news comes as 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ passes its first 50,000 visitors since the last phase of its reopening to the world, with tourists accounting for a huge 76% of total passengers. Since reopening its borders, visitor numbers have boosted back up to 50% of pre-Covid levels.
Despite the pressures of the pandemic, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ has further cemented itself as the honeymoon capital of the Indian Ocean. Traveller data captured via the 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Islands Travel Authorisation system shows 3,852 honeymooners landing on its shores over the past three months. Of these, Israeli newlyweds came out on top with 413 couples visiting the islands, closely followed by Saudi Arabia (229) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) (208). During the same period, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ was also the destination of choice for 570 weddings (1,140 people).
With the tourism industry worldwide facing a difficult time, the holiday destination, a popular escape renowned for its white, sandy beaches, warm turquoise waters and diverse flora and fauna sees its arrival numbers soaring daily since reopening on March 25, 2021. The average visit to 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ is 11 days, enough time to fully enjoy the local experience.
Working to ensure 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ remains a Covid-safe destination, the recently launched 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Islands Travel Authorisation, powered by Travizory, allows the government to screen and approve passengers’ pre-arrival ‒ including verification of PCR tests and vaccine certificates.
The authorisation process takes just five minutes to complete and guarantees peace of mind for tourists looking to get away during the pandemic. Taking the guesswork out of travel the 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Islands Travel Authorisation has enabled the island nation to reopen safely and responsibly.
With travel restrictions in place in many of its traditional European markets, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ has opened its borders to a host of new countries, and has recorded excellent arrival numbers from countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel, Germany and Ukraine for the first half of the year.
With some 10,000 Russian visitors flocking its shores, the island is expecting the numbers to increase drastically once other European countries ease their travel restrictions.
91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ is definitely expecting brighter days as the availability of flights from Europe, home to its main source markets, increases from July with Edelweiss’s arrival and Condor and Air France's probable return to the destination noted for October 2021.
Sherin Francis, principal secretary for tourism, said: "We are expecting better days ahead for the industry, the current booking trends are reflecting the forecasts we made at the beginning of the year. Records are showing that 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ could be receiving over 149,000 by December 2021, which for the industry would be very good news. We are confident that as vaccination progresses in various countries, consumer confidence will increase and this will influence our arrival numbers positively for the rest of the year"
Alan Renaud, principal secretary for civil aviation, said: "Marking 50,000 travellers since the launch of our Travel Authorisation System is a historic milestone for 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, and to do so during the pandemic is proof of the wisdom of our customer-centric focus and choice in technology. That we have achieved half of our 2019 tourism levels in just six weeks since launch validates the resilience and attractiveness of our destination. Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in the travel experience to facilitate tourism, demonstrating technological innovation to provide unparalleled levels of product and service excellence."
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Press release from Tourism 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
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