The Seychelles has extended a moratorium on the construction of new tourism establishments on La Digue until December 2023, in a bid to guard against the dangers of overtourism.
The moratorium was put in place in August 2021, after a carrying capacity study identified that the further construction of accommodation on the small island could pose a risk to fragile ecosystems, place heavy pressure on basic infrastructure and worsen the quality of life for residents.
The study found that over the past 20 years, “investments have been mainly focused on accommodation development with little innovation in terms of visitor experience (F&B, museums, specialised activities, shops and boutiques)”.
Following a status briefing, Cabinet ministers approved the extension in December 2022, to “make informed decisions based on the recommendations of the Accommodation Establishment Strategic Development Plan”, which will further lay out a path for the sustainable development of tourism on La Digue.
Measuring just over 10 sqkm, La Digue is the third-most populated island in the Seychelles, with 2 800 residents. Tourism is the largest non-governmental economic sector in the Seychelles, directly employing 15% of the workforce and contributing 39,2% to overall GDP in 2019, according to Statista.
