India-Seychelles ties: "Like sisters," says High Commissioner Lalatiana Accouche at WION Iconic Tourism Summit
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "India-Seychelles ties: \"Like sisters,\" says High Commissioner Lalatiana Accouche at WION Iconic Tourism Summit")
Seychelles High Commissioner Lalatiana Accouche Photograph: (Credit: WION)
Seychelles High Commissioner Lalatiana Accouche highlights 50 years of diplomatic ties with India, emphasising maritime security, tourism, and historical connections at the WION Iconic Tourism Summit 2026.
Marking fifty years of diplomatic relations between India and Seychelles, High Commissioner Lalatiana Accouche reflected on a bond that runs deeper than formal ties, tracing its roots to the early Gujarati migrants who were among the first settlers in the island nation.
Speaking at WION Iconic Tourism Summit presented by VFS Global in association with Red Hat Communications, Accouche said, “Relations between India and Seychelles have evolved; the people-to-people connection is very strong.” Further describing the relationship as one built on generations of shared history rather than recent diplomacy alone.
Looking ahead, she expressed optimism about the partnership's trajectory, saying she was eager to see "how this relationship will strengthen in the coming years." She characterised the bond between the two nations in familial terms, calling India and Seychelles "like sisters."
Accouche also highlighted the strategic dimensions of the relationship, particularly in maritime cooperation. "We have been collaborating with India in the maritime field, and we have agreed to strengthen this partnership," she said. With Seychelles' economy heavily dependent on tourism, she underscored the shared priority of regional security: "We want to keep the Indian Ocean region safe."
Her remarks came ahead of the WION Iconic Tourism Summit & Awards 2026, set to take place in New Delhi on 23 September. The summit arrives at a moment of rapid transformation in global travel, shaped by new technologies, shifting traveller expectations, and evolving mobility frameworks. It will bring together leaders from government, diplomacy, tourism, aviation, hospitality, and technology to address the sector's most pressing challenges.
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Discussions at the summit are expected to span visa policy, border management, biometric travel systems, digital transformation, and the expanding role of artificial intelligence in shaping traveller experiences. The event will culminate in the Iconic Awards 2026, honouring individuals and organisations that have made notable contributions to the travel and tourism industry.
Accouche's comments underscore how bilateral relationships like India-Seychelles ties are increasingly framed not just around trade and diplomacy, but around tourism, maritime security, and regional stability, themes set to feature prominently at the summit.
