Luxury Indian Ocean LUXURY INDIAN OCEAN #7 EDITION 2018 | Page 85

According to you, what are the assets that make Mauritius a
top destination in the Indian Ocean?
Mauritius is a privileged destination because of its temperate
climate, its natural assets, its gorgeous beaches, its mythical
places, its diverse and welcoming people, its cultural plurality, its
bilingualism, its quality hotels and the industry’s natural sense
of service. It is these assets that makes it a unique destination.
Moreover, while some of our competitors such as the Maldives
and Bali are experiencing political unrest and a growing sense of
insecurity, our country stands out with its political stability and
security.
What are the campaigns that are carried out by the MTPA to
contribute to this standard?
We always have at heart the will to improve our exposure on the
classical markets, while at the same time exploring new ones. We
are lucky to have a popular product which is famous all over the
world. We make the most of this element to reinforce our various
campaigns so as to target niche markets. An example of this is
“I love Maurice”, one of our latest initiatives which now enables
people from our sister island, Reunion, to visit Mauritius without
a passport. There is also our recent campaign aimed at the Italian
market, in partnership with Alitalia, as well as the consequential
media exposure which we will get from the visit of the Miss
France pageant participants in Mauritius. Finally, we are carrying
on with our seduction mission on Asian markets such as India
and Saudi Arabia, where we have increased marketing events.
We bear in mind our will to showcase our assets at each step of
our action plan – and we are experiencing the expected results.
EDITION #7
What do you think about the current tourist market, and what
are your objectives as Director of the MTPA?
We think that an estimated 5% growth is perfectly attainable,
and we are working towards this objective. We also know that
regional and international competition is harsh. Today, there are
many decisive elements while preparing a holiday, especially if
the chosen destination is far: ease of access to the country, airline
transport reliability, accommodation standards in line with the
destination, activities to improve the travelling experience and
of course, the quality of the services offered. In Mauritius, there
is an unfailing partnership between the public and private sector
in terms of commercial coordination. Our strength lies in the
harmonisation of our initiatives and the messages we channel.
We work hard towards improving this common action which I
will always promote, since I also come from the private sector
and know all the advantages that such a collaboration can bring
to the country.
Many players in the industry work towards promoting
Mauritius as an affordable destination. What do you think
about this action according to the prestige image of the island?
We have a range of products which can fit everyone, and the
quality of our services is significantly higher than that of our
competitors in the different hotel categories. Our offer is diverse,
but not diminished. The norms are the same even though the
product offered might differ. We are only following the evolution
of markets, and adapting to new realities. The notion of excellence
remains the linchpin of our success, and all service providers are
aware of it.
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