LUXURY INDIAN OCEAN BUSINESS
The concept of Indianoceania gained fresh momentum in 2013 , following a symposium on “ Indianoceania , the foundation and springboard of our future ”, organised by then-head of the IOC Jean Claude de l ’ Estrac . During the meeting , academics , politicians and economic and cultural players from across the region worked together to develop a vision for its future . “ By fostering cooperation and joint projects , the activities spearheaded by the IOC – which will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2022 – have helped created a new status quo in areas including the environment , fisheries , the economy , food security , peace and stability ... In addition to encouraging recognition for Indianoceania as an area , we must build on these successes to ensure they are relevant to and anchored in people ’ s lives ,” believes Mr Combeau .
“ People experience Indianoceania without being aware of it . We all cook with brèdes . Our fusion culture connects us to the world . We speak French despite the wider region being largely Englishspeaking . And you ’ ll find a similar architecture in each country ,” explains Mr Marimoutou . “ Of course , each nation is also unique : Madagascar has its extraordinary biodiversity ; the Comoros is an interface between Indianoceania and the Swahili civilisation of the African coastline ; and the Mascarene Islands and the Seychelles ’ histories are the product of encounters between men and women from all over the world . Each country ’ s natural and human heritage makes it a distinctive destination . But the commonalities between them are also undeniable .”
As Jean-Michel Jauze points out in his book , most island nations see tourism as a means of development that has a positive impact on other sectors of the economy , as well as on employment and living standards . In any case , from a social and political point of view , the promotion of the southwestern Indian Ocean as a singular yet multicultural entity is clearly contributing to regional unity .
“ There are two ways to encourage responsible tourism : education and stronger cultural policies .”
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