Seychelles Tourism: The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) held its annual Marketing Meeting at Eden Bleu, reviewing 2026 performance and mapping a 2027 shift from strategy-setting to full implementation, with visitor arrivals gaining momentum in July and August after Middle East disruptions; Russia is leading the rebound, while China, South Africa, Nigeria and Turkey are also showing growth. Bilateral Diplomacy: Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay met Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh to discuss boosting bilateral cooperation, including economic and tourism partnerships. AfCFTA Digital Trade Corridor: The AfCFTA Secretariat and Quest Ghana signed an agreement for a US$5.17bn digital trade corridor, with Seychelles set to host the joint venture headquarters in Victoria and support interoperable payments and a commodities exchange to cut cross-border transaction costs. Seychelles Social Infrastructure Fund: Finance Minister Pierre Laporte says Seychelles plans a new fund focused on health, education and infrastructure, designed to protect scarce public resources with independent governance and expected to start operating next year. Global Travel Rules Affecting Seychelles Links: Thailand confirmed visa-free stays will drop from 60 to 30 days for many countries from September 15, while Seychelles is listed for a separate 15-day exemption. Blue Economy Skills: Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam Maritime Institute is scaling up training, including ship design and shipbuilding courses, as blue economy investment grows—an angle relevant to the wider Indian Ocean region.