Tourism Contributes to Improved Economic Confidence in Mauritius

The Mauritius Chamber Of Commerce and Industry's most recent report outlining consumer confidence shows significant improvement in the fourth quarter of 2011. According to the report, private sector businesses have a favourable outlook of the nation's economy at a rate of 39%, as opposed to 17% whose economic outlook was unfavourable. Those who gave the Mauritian economy good grades cited several reasons for their positive views.

Among those reasons are the rise in tourist numbers and the fiscal reforms the government included in the 2012 budget. As part of that budget taxes on capital gains, dividends, and interest income were all eliminated, encouraging foreign investment in the nation's leading industries of tourism and sugar production. The tax cuts also have spurred many Mauritian business owners to invest significant funds to develop and expand their own companies.

As for the contribution of tourism to the economic outlook, local business owners have observed an increase in the number of arrivals this year of about 7%. The increase translates into most of them doing better than the year before and thus, increased consumer confidence.

The combination of increased consumer confidence and foreign investment are seen as positive steps in maintaining the Mauritian economy's position as the best in the Indian Ocean region. This is especially true when you consider Mauritius' relationship with Europe. Europeans provide a customer base which makes up roughly 67% of all exports and nearly 70% of tourists visiting the island. It's expected that increased investment in the tourism industry will only make those numbers better.

As the Mauritian economy continues to strengthen she will further enhance her position as one of the world's premier tourist destinations. Already known for great Mauritius wedding packages, romantic honeymoons, and luxury family vacations, this Indian Ocean paradise will be debuting new resorts and tourist venues in 2012 and beyond. There are currently two new resorts being built as well as a huge entertainment and tourist venue in the northern region. Furthermore, one of the island' largest resort operators announced this past week plans to secure funding for a ninth resort on Mauritius.

The gorgeous tropical climate and stunning beautiful environment are the main draws to the region. But Mauritius is working hard to develop other things that will bring new visitors in; things like professional and amateur sports. The island has seen a rise in golf holidays and tournaments, as well as events focused around key water sports like surfing, kite surfing, and sport fishing. Tour operators, resorts, and other tourism-related businesses are all joining forces to offer inviting an exciting combination packages.

Europeans who have never visited Mauritius will find that there's no better time to do so than right now. Heading into the island's peak tourism season, there is still space available into January and February of next year. Tourists are encouraged to contact their local tour operator for pricing information and booking details.

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Mauritian Government to Divest Some Tourism Interests

In an ongoing effort to reshape the way Mauritius engages in the tourism industry, that nation's government announced over the weekend plans to divest itself of some of its tourist interests. The plan not only helps further the island nation's goals for revamping the industry, it also helps raise some much needed cash for other expenditures. Among the divestitures are the new developments at the Port Louis waterfront, the Lake Point Complex, and several casinos.

Beyond the announcement no further details have been given as to a timetable for completing the divestments. It is assumed that the government will now go through the valuation process to find out exactly how much its property is worth. Whether or not international bidders will be allowed also remains to be seen. It may be that the Mauritius government decides to keep all of the properties under the control of local investors, although that would be highly unlikely.

The sale of the properties is in keeping with the plan Mauritius is currently on to attract more foreign investment and enter new markets. Government officials have been working extra hard during this past year to completely revamp the way the nation does business in the tourism sector. They are working to develop relationships between international and local investors, public and private sector organizations, and other nations like Seychelles and the Maldives.

Given the announcement there is new speculation about whether the country's national airline, Air Mauritius, will also be fully or partially put on the sales block. The government-owned airline has long been protected against losses through the contribution of its shareholders, but after opening up her skies to foreign airlines, Mauritius may need to consider privatizing the airline in order to compete effectively. Nothing specific has been said about Air Mauritius to date.

Perhaps helping to encourage the sale of all or part of Air Mauritius is the fact that the international airport in Port Louis was recently voted as the best airport in Africa. Ongoing capital improvements are continuing to make it a more desirable destination to fly into, resulting in increased flights from airlines like British Airways.

Individuals coming to the island for Mauritius honeymoons, family holidays, and romantic getaways should notice no significant changes once the divestments are complete. If anything, there may even be slight improvements made as private-sector companies seek to enhance the properties they purchase. Regardless, the island will still be home to bright golden sunshine, turquoise-blue lagoons, lush gardens, vast sugar cane fields, and her majestic mountains.

She will continue to provide the ideal destination for Indian Ocean deep-sea fishing, snorkelling, sailing, and a host of other water based activities. Her luxury resorts will also continue providing the same high quality experience combined with amenities that will make you feel like royalty. Suffice it to say that the divestment is good not only for the Mauritian government and the purchasers, but also the visitors coming from various locales around the world.

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