Seychelles is in great demand for UK travellers, according to figures released by the destinations’ national bureau of statistics.

Some 17,286 British visitors entered the country from January to September 2nd this year, representing a 16 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

Britain is the Seychelles’ fourth biggest European incoming market, after Germany, France and Italy.

During the period the number of European visitors grew by seven per cent.

Seychelles welcomed 235,640 international visitors in the year to date, only one per cent more than 2017.

Yet, records from the Central Bank of Seychelles show that the country’s first semester earnings have increased by 27 per cent compared to the same period last year.

These figures reflect Seychelles’ sustainability efforts as a country that relies on tourism for 29 per cent of its GDP.

One initiative is to work together with hoteliers and business to eliminate the use of plastic by 2020.

Seychelles Tourism Board chief executive, Sherin Francis, expressed her satisfaction that so many tourists prefer Seychelles as a holiday destination.

“Thanks to the efforts of all parties within the industry, we have been able to achieve amazing growth in tourism earnings,” Francis said.

“For a small country like Seychelles, where we emphasise conservation, it is important to get more out of each tourist instead of relying on tourism arrivals.”

Arrivals to the Seychelles are expected to rise steadily as airlines place their bets on the archipelago.

British Airways launched new direct flights from London this year, while Air Seychelles has increased the frequency of its services between Seychelles and Johannesburg.

Edelweiss Air’s planned service to the islands also launches this month.