Following news that the Seychelles will be <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/travel/seychelles-to-reopen-borders-to-international-tourists-on-march-25-1.1178049">reopening its borders</a> to all international visitors on March 25, with no quarantine requirements, Air Seychelles has launched direct weekly flights between Dubai and the Indian Ocean nation. Running from March 27 to May 29, the seasonal service will operate from the Jetex private terminal at Dubai World Central (DWC), departing from Dubai at 8am every Saturday morning and arriving in the Seychelles at 12.30pm. The return flight will depart from the Seychelles at 2.45pm on Friday afternoon, providing travellers with a seven-day, six-night stay in the country. All travellers, regardless of their vaccination status, must present a negative PCR test upon arrival in the Seychelles, taken a maximum of 72 hours prior. They will then need to adhere to public health measures currently in place in the country, which include the wearing of face masks and social distancing in public. The only visitors who cannot enter the Seychelles under its latest rules are those travelling from South Africa. Flights to and from Dubai will be operated on an Airbus A320neo aircraft, which has 12 business class and 156 economy class seats. Economy tickets start from $343, with a baggage allowance of 30 kilograms, while business class seats are available from $1,020 with a baggage allowance of 40kg. All fares are inclusive of taxes. Tickets are on sale now on the Air Seychelles <a href="https://www.airseychelles.com/">website</a> and via travel agents. The Seychelles is accelerating its vaccination efforts to ensure that 70,000 residents will have received their doses by Thursday, March 25. At present, 56,000 people have received at least a first dose of either the Sinopharm or Covishield vaccine. “The vaccination campaign has been quite successful," said Sylvestre Radegonde, the country’s minister for foreign affairs and tourism. "The government has done everything in its power to make sure that the population is protected. We have now arrived at the point where opening our borders further is the next step to allow for our economic recovery.”
