Interview with Mr. VijayeHaulder, Acting Director
Mauritius Promotion Tourism Authority, exclusive with Travel Span
Targets one lakh Tourists for 2018 from India
Tourism is the third pillar of the Mauritian economy and today it is a blooming industry. The destination received an overall 5.2% increase in tourist arrivals from across the world. Tourist arrivals from India increased by 4.4% in 2017. Mauritius is targeting 2 lakh tourists from India in the years to come introducing new tourism attractions. It is a preferred destination amongst honeymooners, weddings, luxury holidays, golf and shopping. We spoke to Mr. VijayeHaulder, Acting Director, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) on the present tourism trends in the country…
Mauritius is celebrating its 50 years this year. What makes Mauritius so unique?
Mauritius has come a long way since its independence and we are proud to say Mauritius has achieved a remarkable economic performance from an exclusive agricultural mono culture of sugarcane to a strong and diversified economy. Tourism is the third pillar of the Mauritian economy and today it is a blooming industry. Tourist arrivals for the year 2017 culminated to 1,341,860 that is an increase of 5.2 % as compared to 2016 which ended with
1,275,227 tourists. The uniqueness of our island is its people. Mauritius is a melting pot of cultures and the Mauritian hospitality is known worldwide. The island has a tropical climate and hence is an all year round destination with pleasant winters and summers.
How does Mauritius want to position itself in the Luxury weddings, honeymoon and golf tourism niche?
Mauritius is already known as an up market honeymoon destination in India. We intend to promote Mauritius as an ideal place for luxury weddings with lovely beaches, sunrise and sunset and our world class hotels have just the right ambience and services for a memorable wedding. Mauritius should be the preferred destination to celebrate love. We have already stepped into this segment and last year we hosted around 8 big Indian weddings. Mauritius is a multi – faceted island and we have 10 magnificently landscaped professional 18 hole golf courses with breath taking views. Our golf courses are of international standard, ideal for competitions whilst enjoying the nature. Mauritius has also hosted major golf tournaments like the Afrasia Golf – Open.
On new markets being developed by Mauritius – a more intensive and sustained approach is being adopted to tap tourism markets, kindly explain.
Mauritius has thrived to make itself known as a luxury destination and has come a long way. We endeavour to sustain this image by adopting a sustainable approach where we aim to create advocates for the Mauritius brand and experiences, the main objective being to develop and implement the Global Media Relations Strategy. We also make it a point to communicate Mauritius’s unique attributes to tell our brand story which connects visitors to memorable experiences.
How important is Indian Market for Mauritius? What are your expectations from the Indian Market? What has been the increase in tourism numbers from India?
The Indian market is becoming a strong potential market for Mauritius. The destination has long been known to the Indian market as a luxury honeymoon destination. The island has so much more to offer. Apart from the beautiful beaches and up class hotels, we have mesmerising sceneries, numerous adventure related activities, professional and international level golf courses, water sports, ideal kite surf spots and cultural tourism. The Indian travellers can get a panoply of activities to choose from all year round.
We are very optimistic for the future and we intend to promote the destination in all its facets and reinforce our marketing actions by being more present on the market through road-shows, fairs, workshops and advertising. Arrivals from India in 2017 culminated at 86,294 and shown an increase of 4.4 %. The Indian market contracted during the first quarter of 2017 due to demonetisation effect but has picked up throughout 2017 with a peak of 15% growth in May 2017 as compared to May 2016. We are targeting 100,000 tourists from India in 2018 and the target for the years to come is 200,000 tourists from India.
Could you elaborate on luxurious activities on the island that would attract high end tourists?
The island reflects luxury by its up-market luxury accommodation with highly professional and personalised services for guests to enjoy their stay. Yacht, catamaran trips, big game fishing, casinos, helicopter tours and spa amongst others, are the activities offered. Services like helicopter transfers, limousine transfers and VIP lounges are also available and in great demand.
How has Brand Mauritius strategy contributed in positioning Mauritius on the World Tourism map?
Brand Mauritius has created a distinctive place in the minds of potential customers, a position which evokes images of a warm luxury destination, images that differentiate the destination from the competition and also as a place which can satisfy their needs and wants for a dream holiday.
Mauritius: An upscale destination – Mauritius pursues and has placed itself as an upmarket tourism destination. How far have you succeeded in this?
Mauritius has been tapping into high spending markets. The island is welcoming an increasing number of high spending tourists which is being shown by the increasing demand for luxury services like access through VIP lounges, helicopter transfers, limousine transfers and high-end private villas. Mauritius has managed to brand itself as a luxury destination appealing to the high end tourists and we anticipate to maintain the brand as an upmarket destination by offering value for money. The island counts 30% of repeater visitors which give an indication of the service and quality of the destination.
What are the USPs of Mauritius as a tourist destination?
Mauritius has activities to suit all ages and tastes. Be it for the youngsters, honeymooners, senior citizens, businessmen and families. Mauritius is a melting pot of cultures and the Mauritian hospitality is known worldwide. The combination of beach, nature, adventure and culture make Mauritius unique as a tourist destination. It is a destination where East meets west.
Any new developments to attract tourism into Mauritius?
Mauritius is continuously working on avenues to attract more direct flights from different parts of the world to make the destination more easily accessible.New activities are being implemented like the Ebony Forest at Chamarel which became operational in 2017 and new adventure activities are being implemented this year at Casela nature park.2019 will witness the opening of a new cruise terminal to welcome the growing number of passengers from cruises. We are also working on the ‘Beach and Bush’ concept enrobing Kenya and Mauritius. There will be daily flights from Kenya to Mauritius as from June 2018. We are looking forward to this new avenue and hope to tap Indian tourists travelling to Kenya for Safari and offer them the opportunity to visit two destinations with unique attractions in one visit.
What is the current tourism scenario and what are your future plans to attract tourism from India and world markets?
The tourism industry in Mauritius has evolved and performed very well for the past decade with a sustained growth in the overall number of tourists visiting the island every year. Last year the number reached 1,341,860 tourist arrivals and we are aiming at a 7% growth for 2018. Tourism has become the third pillar of the Mauritian economy. We intend to consolidate our marketing actions in the core European markets and explore new markets like the Nordics and Asia. We are gradually opening up the air access which will make the destination more accessible to the world. Mauritius being an island in the Indian Ocean has a very pleasant climate all year round with blue sky and fresh air. The multi – faceted destination is a jewel in the Indian Ocean and appeals to all categories of travellers wishing to taste luxury and experience a blissful holiday. India is one of the potential markets for Mauritius and we are positively looking ahead to welcome more Indian tourists with our continuous presence in the travel trade and the Tier 1,2 and 3 cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kolkata, Nagpur, Coimbatore, Trivandrumetc).
On Mauritius gastronomy delights, what and how does it attract the Indian and world travellers?
Mauritius has many signature dishes unique to Mauritius like the ‘’dholpuri, gatopiment, merveille’’ and other traditional Mauritian cuisine which the Indians and other travellers enjoy while visiting the island. The island has been blessed with a multi-cultural society and therefore we have a blend of different cuisines re – invented the Mauritian way. Tourists from different parts of the world will definitely find a dish connecting to their own cuisine. All the major cuisines of the world namely, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Arabic etc. are available in Mauritius.
