Environment Trust Fund receives more than R10 million in donations from travellers   |14 June 2022

The ministry’s team led by PS Matatiken displays a cheque for the amount the ETF received from September 1, 2020 to May 12, 2022

Voluntary donations from travellers to Seychelles to the Environment Trust Fund (ETF) have now surpassed R10 million (€600,000), the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment has announced.

The Environmental Trust Fund (ETF) is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, with funds used to support national conservation efforts.

All visitors to the Seychelles are able to contribute to the protection of Seychelles’ flora and fauna via the Seychelles Islands Travel Authorisation platform, powered by Travizory Border Security.

44,602 individual donations, totalling over €600,000 (approx. R10 million) have been recorded since September 2020 – when the Travel Authorisation system was first introduced.

Data captured via the Seychelles Islands Travel Authorisation platform shows that German visitors have made the most donations (7467), followed by Russian (6151) and French (5940), and finally Swiss (2514) and British (2142) travellers. More than 372 Seychelles passport holders have also made contributions to the Fund.

Donation options range from €10 to €500, allowing travellers to donate whatever their budget. To date, 7 travellers have donated €500 to the fund, including 2 Americans; 1 German; 1 traveller from Liechtenstein; 1 Sri Lankan; 1 Saudi national; and 1 Slovakian.

Since March 31, Seychellois are no longer required to pay for their Travel Authorisation application.

Flavien Joubert, Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, said: “I would like to thank all the visitors who contributed voluntarily through Travizory. The fund will help finance sustainable environment projects and support projects to build resilience against the impact of climate change.”

Principal secretary for the department of Environment, Denis Matatiken, said: “The voluntary commitment by Travizory is a good initiative to inspire visitors to contribute to the protection of the environment. It shows they are environmentally conscious and their commitment to offset their carbon footprint.”

Tom Marten, Travizory MD for Indian Ocean and Middle East, said: “The Seychelles islands are some of the most pristine in the world, making it a hugely desirable destination for people around the world. It is wonderful to see so many generous visitors, and citizens, contributing to initiatives that protect the natural environment and ensure Seychelles’ natural beauty can be enjoyed for generations to come. I am particularly proud that Travizory has been able to support local initiatives, and invest in the Seychelles community. We are committed to promoting sustainable travel to Seychelles, and globally, and will continue to support initiatives like the Environment Trust Fund for the duration of our time in Seychelles.”

The government of Seychelles remains committed to working with Travizory to strengthen its borders, facilitate passenger arrivals and explore new ways to support national initiatives such as the ETF.

Press release from the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change & Environment