INDIAN OCEAN
It represents the shared heritage of Mauritius , Reunion , the Seychelles , Madagascar and the Comoros – the five island nations that make up the IOC . It is a springboard for our common identity . Each of the IOC ’ s member countries already asserts its uniqueness to distinguish itself from international tourism competitors . But Indianoceania , as a “ unique place of remarkable natural wealth and beauty , at the crossroads between Africa , India , Europe , China and the Arab worlds ” – according to the IOC ’ s Secretary General , Vêlayoudom Marimoutou – is potentially a much more coherent and compelling commercial product .
In 2020 , our islands – all highly dependent on tourism – faced a common challenge in the form of the Covid-19 health crisis . For Yvan Combeau , a historian , political scientist and director of the Centre de Recherches sur les Sociétés de l ’ océan Indien , the crisis “ put Indian Ocean cooperation to the test . It was also a reckoning for how IOC activities take the daily lives of the Indian Ocean ’ s inhabitants into account .” The IOC is currently developing a recovery plan to support regional industries , improve connectivity and promote a circular economy , in partnership with the private sector and Cap Business Océan Indien – the region ’ s network of chambers of commerce . “ We believe that we should reactivate regional civil aviation and air carrier committees . Do we need an open skies policy ? How viable are our national airlines ? Should we move towards strategic partnerships or mergers ? These questions are important and need to be debated ,” says Mr Marimoutou . “ The region ’ s airlines launched the Vanilla Alliance in 2016 and planned to set up a joint pass to stimulate regional tourism . It ’ s an idea that should be revived . And each country ’ s tourism offices and the Vanilla Islands Association have a responsibility to more effectively market the region as a product .”
However , there is a “ gap between the region ’ s political players and its people when it comes to this way of thinking about the Indian Ocean . It speaks volumes about the social and economic disparities between its different countries ,” highlights Mr Combeau . In addition to these issues , we run the risk of ‘ museumising ’ and ‘ folklorising ’ our traditions . In Patrimoines partagés – Traits communs en Indianocéanie ( 2016 ), author Jean-Michel Jauze cites the example of the Villages Créoles and of the Reunion National Park , both of which impose restrictions on local construction and other activities in order to preserve the authenticity of certain areas . The sega shows that take place in our hotels against a background of fireworks also come to mind . “ Folklorisation begins when our supposed authenticity become something static and frozen . It is driven by the visitor ’ s demand for exoticism . Tourists are sold a type of folklore that sometimes no longer exists ,” asserts the IOC secretary general . There are two ways to encourage responsible tourism : education and stronger cultural policies . “ We need to both promote heritage and allow for changes in how our culture is expressed ,” he adds .
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