Seychelles says no to cruise ships until 2022 to protect against coronavirus

As cruise lines look at plans to get ready to set sail once again, one port will remain closed for years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials in Seychelles have announced Port Victoria will be closed to cruise ships through the end of 2021, the Seychelles Nation newspaper reported.

Didier Dogley, the minister for tourism, civil aviation ports and marine, said the ban is effective immediately, the Nation reported.

Seychelles has a population of 96,000 and only 11 confirmed cases of coronavirus but is a travel hot spot, Travel and Leisure reported.

The nation stretches over 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, Seychelles News Agency reported. Officials said the country had planned on 50 arrivals this cruise season, the Telegraph reported. Each year about 30,000 passengers visit Seychelles.

Many cruise lines, including Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line, have canceled voyages through summer, according to Travel and Leisure.

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