Русский
Russian language classes have begun at the Seychelles Tourism Academy—the country’s main educational centre training specialists for the tourism industry. Among the participants are hotel employees, chefs, managers of tourism companies, entrepreneurs working with Russian clients, and members of mixed families, as well as local residents interested in Russian culture.
According to Russian language teacher Sofia Grigorieva, interest in the classes is steadily growing. She states that “I have been teaching here for several months, and it was a surprise for me how warmly local residents relate to Russian culture. They are genuinely interested in everything Russian: folk songs, dances, and cuisine. Many dream of visiting Russia—the cold country they have heard so much about. I can see how the number of people who want to study Russian is growing. And it seems that in the near future there will be even more students. Many of the students wish to visit Russia, with some hoping to continue their education at Russian universities.”
The Seychelles has positioned itself as a premier tourist destination and, in common with many countries in the Indian Ocean ring, has seen a huge influx of Russian tourists as part of the move away from their previously traditional European destinations. The Russian language courses now being taught at the Seychelles Tourism Academy are designed to improve levels of service to Russian tourists visiting the islands at a time when European markets have become unfriendly towards Russians. However, Russian tourists tend to spend more overseas than their European counterparts do, making them a valuable source of income.
The Seychelles is an island nation and archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, about 1,500 kilometres east of mainland Africa. Nearby island countries and territories include the Maldives, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the French overseas departments of Mayotte and Réunion to the south and the Chagos Archipelago to the east. The Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa and has a population of just over 100,000.
In recent years the government has encouraged foreign direct investment to upgrade its hospitality infrastructure and service sectors. These policy frameworks, championed by the Seychelles Investment Board, have catalyzed significant capital inflows into luxury real estate and integrated resort developments. Russians have grown to become the third-largest source of inbound tourism to the Seychelles, overtaking the British in 2025, yet they are behind Germany and France. A record 391,000 tourists visited the country in 2025.
