Russian Tourists Surge Past Europeans as Top Visitors to Seychelles

Russian travelers have overtaken Germans and French to become the largest tourist group visiting the Seychelles, the Indian Ocean archipelago long favored by the wealthy. According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), citing data from the Seychelles National Bureau of Statistics, 23,600 Russian citizens have visited the islands since the start of 2026 — a 12.8 percent increase compared with the same period in 2025.

That surge pushed Russia into first place among all source countries for Seychelles tourism. Germany came in second with 21,300 visits, followed by France with 18,200 visits. However, overall tourist arrivals to the Seychelles dropped 13.6 percent in 2026, largely due to disruptions in air travel via Middle Eastern hubs — a route used by about 60 percent of all visitors, including Russians.

In a positive development for Russian travelers, Aeroflot resumed direct flights to the Seychelles on July 8, with two weekly departures scheduled through the summer. The news comes as the Seychelles have become more affordable: prices for vacations there have fallen 22 percent, from an average of 492,400 rubles to 384,200 rubles, making the once-exclusive destination more accessible to a broader range of tourists.