Interview by Shreya Shimpi
How is Mauritius faring as a tourist destination post-pandemic? How much tourist traffic is received this year?
Before the pandemic, Mauritius used to welcome 1.3 million tourists. Mauritius opened to tourists in October last year and till the end of May this year, we have attained a recovery rate of almost 50 per cent. Despite many markets still being closed, we have reached a certain milestone in terms of numbers. We have already crossed the 500000 barrier. Our objective this calendar year is to welcome one million tourists. Post-pandemic, the tourism span has considerably increased by 35-40%. Tourism in Mauritius is mostly Euro-centric. The average length of stay which used to be around nine nights previously has now increased to twelve to fourteen nights.
What are the current rules/ regulations about Covid-19?
Mauritius has always been very cautious in terms of reopening. Firstly, our reopening was done based on a very successful vaccination campaign. Secondly, we have eased the Covid-19 protocols gradually. Since July, the Government has reviewed all the protocols. Whether a tourist is vaccinated or not vaccinated, it does not have any implications. You can come to Mauritius, enjoy your stay and then head back. In case you contract Covid during your stay, you need to isolate yourself.
How important is India as a market for Mauritius in the post-pandemic era?
India is a part of our diversification strategy. What Covid has taught us is to practise inclusive tourism and there is no better way to become inclusive than through diversification. Indian market is key to us. We have had strong diplomatic relations with India since many years. Our forefathers came from India. It is thus very natural that India becomes one of our top priorities. We put a lot of impetus on the marketing in India so that we develop the market. It is a crucial market since many Indians travelled to Mauritius during our lowest season and it is also happens to be a huge market. The Indian market opened just two months back for us but there has been a consistent increase in the number of tourists. We have almost reached an average recovery of 55 per cent. We are paving our way gradually and are extremely confident about reaching our objective of welcoming 80,000 tourists from India.
There has been a great demand for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) from India. A lot of conglomerates are coming to Mauritius for their MICE activities. The film industry also has been booming in Mauritius. Recently, actor Ranbir Kapoor visited Mauritius for a shoot. A web series too is slated to be shot next week. Mauritius remains a wedding destination also. We look forward to welcoming Indians who are remotely working to Mauritius. This is of great importance to our economy as a whole.
How is Mauritius competing with destinations such as Maldives and Seychelles, especially in the honeymoon and wedding segments?
The Maldives had never closed. If there was an infection, they would have to close one hotel. But that was not the case with Mauritius given its high density. We had to take all the necessary precautions. Hence destinations which hadn’t closed down had an edge over us. We preferred to be very secure because of our population. Also, Mauritius being a diversified economy in which not just tourism but manufacturing and financial sectors were also doing very well. Due to this, we could rely on these factors. In terms of recovery we are doing extremely well because firstly, we have always prioritised sanitary security. The sun shines for everybody, and that has been our philosophy. We are working gradually without putting our population or tourists at stake. We are extremely confident that this calendar year our goal of welcoming one million tourists seems to be highly achievable.
Is there any new marketing strategy in place to attract tourists to Mauritius?
Our strategy was quite simple and clear. We have worked a lot in collaboration with the private sector and this has led to our campaign which is known as ‘#Mauritius Now’. All information related to the security and protocols in Mauritius were online and the attributes of the destination too were highlighted. We had also installed live cameras in the strategic places of Mauritius so that people could venture into the destination LIVE as a part of our digital strategy. We had the privilege of having joint marketing campaigns with our big tour operators. B2B operators generate 80 per cent of our tour bookings and they were heavily supported by their destinations. Also, for small islands like Mauritius accessibility is key. We have worked a lot with airlines as well. Our national airline happens to carry 40 per cent of our tourists.
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