(Seychelles News Agency) - Visitor arrivals to the Seychelles in January was up 37 percent over the same period last year, according to the latest figures from the National Bureau of Statistics.

Around 23,300 visitors entered the country in January, compared with 17,033 last year.

The deputy chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), Jennifer Sinon, told SNA on Thursday that this is a high percentage for the tourism industry to start the year.

“We are now reaping the rewards of all the activities and strategies of last year [as] the benefits trickle down in the months and years to come,” said Sinon.

STB’s deputy chief executive added that the upswing in visitor arrivals is largely due to the increase in air connectivity between the world and Seychelles, an archipelago in western Indian Ocean.

Last year, Qatar Airways resumed daily flights to Seychelles three years after it stopped flying to the island nation, while Turkish Airlines and SriLankan Airlines began new flights.

The Seychelles' national carrier, Air Seychelles, also started direct flights to and from Beijing, China’s capital city.  

Europe remains the leading market with over 13,200 visitors, over 2,900 more than the same period last year. More than half of the visitors were from the U.K. and Northern Ireland. Germany had 36 percent of the visitors and Russia had 12 percent.

Sinon remains optimistic that the Seychelles’ tourism industry – the top contributor to the economy -- will end the year on a positive note.

“We acknowledge that this year is going to be challenging both locally and internationally but we are optimistic that the destination will remain resilient,” said Sinon.