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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Bloomberg: Mauritius Needs More Air Flights

A November 23 (2011) report from Bloomberg highlights the need for more flights to Mauritius to keep up with burgeoning hotel capacity. Bloomberg's information comes from the Association des Hoteliers et Restaurateurs de l'Ile Maurice, the leading trade organization for the Mauritian hotel and restaurant industry. According to the Association, the 2011 occupancy rate for Mauritian hotels will finish at about 65%. However, that's expected to increase in the coming years if flights are increased in line with the ever-growing number of available beds.

The association's chief executive officer, Jocelyn Kwok, noted that bed capacity has increased 15% over the last four years while flight capacity has fallen by 2%. Part of the disparity can be attributed to protectionist policies used in recent years by Air Mauritius to retain an almost exclusive lock on flights coming in and off the island. But at start of the year Air Mauritius seemingly abandoned that philosophy and has since worked to open up Mauritian skies to other airlines.

In fact, as reported earlier this week, British Airways has transferred the hub of its pleasure travel business from Heathrow to Gatwick, and is increasing flights to many of its most sought-after destinations, including Mauritius. Furthermore, the airline just announced a flight schedule change which will allow tourists visiting Mauritius an extra day on the island. More flights could be added early next year as well. In addition, Air Mauritius noted that a prominent Asian airline, which it hasn't yet identified, will also be adding new flights in early 2012.

With plane seat capacity growing tourist officials expect hotel bookings to increase through 2013. They are especially excited about the industry's new emphasis on Mauritius family hotels as a way to promote the island ad more than just a romantic getaway for beach weddings and honeymoons. The Mauritian tourist industry is actively working on expanding family-based holidays through more activities, family-friendly accommodations, and even new construction projects currently under way.

Mauritius is focusing their family-friendly effort on activities that can be enjoyed by both adults and children. At the heart of those activities is the island's wide range of water sports which include everything from parasailing and kite surfing to deep-sea fishing and diving. The golfing sector has even gotten in on the act by developing family focused golf holidays which provide instruction and tee times for golfers of all ages and abilities. And if you know anything about golf in Mauritius, the island has some of the most spectacular courses in the world.

Mauritius leads the way in Indian Ocean travel primarily because they are proactive in developing both their brand and natural environment. If the nation's hotel and restaurant sector are correct in their assessments, the next two years could be extremely profitable for the Mauritian tourism industry. That would be great news for everyone involved.

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Economic Freedom Stimulates Mauritian Tourism Sector

Silicon India has just released its list of top 10 countries with the most economic freedom; a list which has garnered some interesting results. As far as Mauritius is concerned, it ranked first among 46 countries in Africa and the sub-Saharan region, as well as extremely high among all developed countries around the world. This economic freedom has spurred private sector growth, foreign and national investment, and confidence in both the tourism industry and arrivals coming to the island.

Central to their success is the fact that the Mauritian government plays very little direct role in economic development while keeping taxes and regulations as competitive as possible. Rather than trying to control markets through government fiat, Mauritius tends to allow the private sector to manage the open market system. Lest anybody disagree with their philosophy, it's hard to argue with the results. Mauritius has the strongest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of the strongest economies in the world, on a per-capita basis.

This can be seen throughout the Mauritian tourism industry in terms of the amount of new investment continuing to flow into the island. Among some of the developments over the last couple of years is a strong push by resort operators to make Mauritius the golfing capital of the Indian Ocean. Mauritius golf holidays are not only allowing arrivals to play on excellent championship-level courses, but many are developing complete packages which include instruction for golfers of all ages and skill levels.

What's more quite a few of the resorts are working together to offer golf packages which allow guests to play multiple courses during their stay. And the island has managed to land two major golf tournaments in 2011 that combine the best pros and their amateur counterparts. Much of this success may not have been possible had the Mauritian government insisted on continuing its previous philosophies of government-owned business and tight state regulation.

Another burgeoning sector in Mauritian tourism is the family holiday. More and more resorts are adopting family-friendly activities and renovating some of their guest rooms to make them practical for families. Things will only get better with a very ambitious construction project that has been undertaken in the northern part of the island; a project which will develop a brand-new, all-inclusive entertainment complex to include at least two new hotels and a theme park. The 10-year project is designed to be extremely family-friendly as a means of attracting new visitors and keeping them in the region.

Most Europeans know Mauritius for her stunning beaches and gorgeous tropical weather. But if not for a concerted effort by the Mauritian government to allow the economy to expand on its own, much of what we enjoy might not otherwise be accessible. Thankfully, free enterprise reigns in Mauritius, making it the perfect environment for a thriving tourism industry.

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Tourist Revenues Continue Upward Trend in Mauritius

Industry experts have been closely watching Mauritian tourism ever since the start of the 2011 calendar year. Almost immediately they began noticing a jump in the number of arrivals to the island, usually hovering around 4.5% to 5% per month. By early summer arrivals had increased some 7%, even as the Mauritian government was in full court press promoting the island around the world as a top-notch holiday destination. Their efforts appear to be continuing to pay off according to recent statistics just announced by the Bank of Mauritius.

As reported by Reuters, the Bank of Mauritius announced earlier this week that tourism revenues rose by some 9.7% over the twelve months ending on August 31. For that same period in 2009/2010, revenue stood at approximately 37.8 billion rupees as opposed to the 41.5 billion rupees realised this year. That's quite an economic boost when one considers the fact that tourism makes up roughly 10% of the Mauritian GDP. The revenue increase simply adds to what is already one of the best economies in the Indian Ocean region.

In addition to revenues being up, the total number of arrivals also increased from 903,867 in 2010 to 963,078 this year. That's an increase of nearly 7%, keeping in line with the numbers being recorded in June and July. Overall the tourism picture in Mauritius looks very good for 2011. Government officials are hoping to see even better numbers as the peak travel season opens in December. With the addition of a pro golf tournament and a couple of other special events, Mauritius should see good numbers through December and into 2012.

Experts attribute much of the increase to a better economy in Europe, which supplies nearly 2/3 of the region's annual visitors. But they also don't discount the Herculean efforts made by the Ministry of Tourism to boost the island's profile. In addition to working on quite a bit of self-promotion, Mauritius has also joined with the Vanilla Islands cooperative that seeks to promote the entire Indian Ocean region in a joint effort.

Amidst all of the good news this might be the perfect time for Mauritius family holidays. With the winter season fast approaching in Europe, families looking for fun in the sun leading up to the Christmas holidays could choose no better destination. Mauritius offers great luxury resorts, exquisite dining, inspiring culture and history, natural tropical beauty, white sand beaches, and of course, some of the most consistently spectacular weather anywhere on the planet.

UK travellers should find Mauritius especially attractive due to the fact that this past summer was nothing to cheer about. And now that they are in the full throes of autumn, the traditionally warm and sunny European destinations in Spain and southern France are cooling down as well. This is a perfect time to get a flight and escape to a beautiful tropical environment. There are still plenty of flights available as well as resorts for every taste and budget.

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Four Seasons Offers a New Way to See Mauritius

More often than not, tourists to Mauritius tend to embark upon traditional sightseeing tours with trained guides who show them the way. While this method of seeing the Indian Ocean island is certainly a viable one, those who prefer a more adventurous sightseeing tour done independently of large groups now have an interesting new option. The new program is being offered by the Four Seasons Resort Mauritius located at Anahita, in the south east of the island.

So what is this adventurous new sightseeing program? It is something being described by the hotel chain as a "top-down" tour. The tour is developed by the Four Seasons staff tailored to show tourists the best parts of the island that would particularly appeal to their tastes and interests. The tour data is downloaded into the satellite navigation system of a convertible Mini Cooper that the registered guests then use to embark on their own tour, at their own schedule.

The best thing about these tours is that there are four different itineraries to choose from. The choices are designated as Adrenaline (for those looking for exciting adventure), Culinary (focused on fine dining and food), Family (packed with family oriented activities), and Scenic (dedicated to showing guests the best of Mauritius' natural beauty). The scenic tour takes guests to the Black River National Park and the World Heritage Site at Le Mourne.

The tours are marketed as a great alternative for Mauritius family holidays because they allow for parents and their children to experience a wide range of activities they might not otherwise be exposed to. Where mother and father might prefer a culinary tour on one day, they could satisfy the desires of the children with a family tour on the next. Having such a good variety means there is something for every family member to enjoy.

In addition to driving the Mini Cooper from one site to the next, guests will engage in other activities such as hiking, biking, kite surfing, windsurfing, and dining at some of the world’s most interesting restaurants. Far from just sitting in a car all day, these new mini tours provide plenty of activity to keep guests busy for hours. Though they may be tired at the end of the day, it will be with the satisfaction of knowing great things experiences were enjoyed by all.

The tropical environment and natural beauty of Mauritius makes this island the ideal place for The Four Seasons mini tours. If they prove to be successful here it is possible the hotel chain will implement them elsewhere. If you're heading to Mauritius for a holiday this winter, you could be one of the first guests to utilize the service. The Four Seasons would be happy to provide you with your own customized tour that will make your stay in Mauritius a memorable one.

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New Mauritian Dam to Spur Further Economic Development

A project to build a new dam in Mauritius, set to get under way on December 1, is expected to help further economic development in the country's capital city of Port St. Louis, as well as some of the smaller towns downstream. The project will create an artificial reservoir through a dam across the Terre Rouge River, on the north-west portion of the island. When it's complete, the 14.2 million m³ reservoir will become instrumental in the Mauritian effort to maintain responsible water conservation.

The new dam is being built by China's Three Gorgeous Corporation, the operator of that country's largest and most notable water conservation project. It will cost a projected USD $112 million with a completion schedule of about three years. The new dam has already been given a name: the Bagatelle dam.

A similar dam project developed around the turn-of-the-century was an immediate success in helping Mauritius control its potable drinking water supply. Although she is a tropical island in the midst the Indian Ocean, potable water has long been a problem in Mauritius as the government pours most of its resources into the tourist industry, leaving inland towns and cities with poor infrastructure. Building these dam projects means that clean drinking water will be available in those areas as well.

Furthermore, building dams such as Bagatelle help to create a more inviting environment for business development. When dams go in, new towns and their accompanying businesses are born. The Mauritian government is hoping that the economic activity resulting from this new dam will be good for everyone, especially the tourist industry. Tourism still accounts for the largest percentage of the Mauritian GDP and foreign currency, so it must be preserved.

Holidays to Mauritius should only get better with the building of the new dam. But even without that project, this island nation has been a favourite European holiday destination for generations. Being able to visit an island that has been significantly influenced by both the British and the French, means Europeans are able to get a glimpse of a colonial past in a tropical environment where peace and tranquillity are the norm.

The island has always been known for incredible natural beauty, crystal-clear water alive with water sports, an intriguing indigenous culture, interesting and tasteful cuisine, and of course, near-perfect weather year-round. In recent years Mauritius has also been trying to develop itself as a great getaway for sports-related activities. They have been developing their golf industry as well as attracting professional sports like surfing and kite-surfing.

As many of the downstream towns and cities realize a consistent supply of potable water economic development will soon follow. That means more opportunities for business, more places to see for visitors, and a healthier environment all the way around. The Mauritian tourist industry extends an invitation to you to consider visiting their island on your next holiday trip. They are ready with plenty of bed capacity and all of the amenities necessary to make your trip one you'll never forget.

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