Qatar Airways is increasing seat capacity into the Seychelles this summer as the tourist hotspot reopens up to the world again.

The Indian Ocean islands will be welcoming visitors who will only need to present a negative PCR test taken 72-hours before departure.

There will be no quarantine requirement or restriction on movement on those arriving via Doha.

The news has been welcomed by Qatar Airways chief commercial officer, Thierry Antinori, who said: “We resumed our flights to the Seychelles in December.

“Now the islands are opening up further for visitors, we are delighted to offer more seat availability and an enhanced and sustainable experience for our passengers using our Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

“We know the authorities in the Seychelles remain vigilant and visitors will still be required to adhere to public health measures put in place in view of the pandemic these will include wearing of face masks, social distancing and regular cleaning of hands.”

Qatar Airways has recently launched a new programme that enables passengers to voluntarily offset the carbon emissions associated with their journey at the point of booking.

Due to impact of Covid-19 on travel demand, the airline has grounded its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not environmentally justifiable to operate such a large aircraft in the current market.

Seychelles Tourism Board chief executive, Sherin Francis said: “We are happy that Seychelles is back online with clear entry criteria and simple travel measures.

“We depend a lot on our airline partners to complement our efforts in restarting this industry, one which is very important for Seychelles given its contribution to the economy.

“The availability of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner by Qatar Airways on the Seychelles Route will add to the capacity but more importantly the comfort of the guests’ journey to Seychelles.”