Luxury islands clashed for Russian tourists: prices for tours to the Seychelles are now cheaper than to the Maldives. Experts in the direction told ATOR about this. Moreover, the difference in prices for direct transportation to Mahe and Male is almost 30% in favor of the Seychelles.
At the same time, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of the Seychelles, almost 16.5 thousand Russian tourists visited the Seychelles until the end of May 2023, which is 16% more than in the same period last year. In terms of the total number of tourist arrivals this year, the Russian market is the third with a share of 10%. Demand is facilitated by the presence of direct regular flights from Moscow to Mahe: Aeroflot flies to the Seychelles twice a week (on Wednesdays and Saturdays). Tickets with luggage – from 37 thousand rubles. one way, round trip with luggage – 64 thousand rubles. per passenger. In the same period, an air ticket to the Maldives on Aeroflot flights will cost at least 90 thousand rubles. in both directions for one.
True, hotels do not participate in the competition: there is no massive price reduction in the summer season, as is the case with Maldivian hotels, in the Seychelles resorts. Coral Travel explained that July and August are the months when the Seychelles are traditionally in high demand from the European and Arab markets. Nevertheless, as ICS Travel Group added, from time to time “tactical” offers come from Seychelles hotels with discounts from 20 to 40%, but there are not many of them. Moreover, the most popular hotels there are limited in number – 25-30 pieces, and the loading of objects is good without discounts and all year round.
As the tour operators added, the islands also differ in the nature of the rest: in the Seychelles, the rest is more active, in the Maldives it is mostly relaxation and tranquility, in the Maldives the situation is typical of one resort – one island, in the Seychelles there are three large islands and both tourists and locals move freely between them . And, finally, if new hotels are opened every year in the Maldives, then in the Seychelles the hotel base is developing much more slowly and the number of hotels is limited. Moreover, in the Seychelles there are fewer all-inclusive, but more options, including apart-hotels, guesthouses, villas with a kitchen.
In general, according to Russian Express, in June, package tours to the Maldives of comparable quality cost 5%-10% more than to the Seychelles. And basically this difference is connected with tariffs for direct transportation. In figures, according to tour operators, Seychelles 4 * start from 222 thousand rubles for 7 days for breakfast; 5* from 370 thousand rubles – and also at breakfast.
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