PRESTIGIOUS PROPERTIES
Des propriétaires visiblement très impliqués dans leur nouvelle vie mauricienne . En effet . Nous avons par exemple , au cœur du village d ’ Anahita , une galerie d ’ art . C ’ est une initiative de l ’ un de nos propriétaires . Nous l ’ avons encouragé et accompagné dans sa démarche . Un autre propriétaire finance actuellement la réfection d ’ une école avec ses fonds propres . Nous l ’ aidons de manière bénévole . Il est très ému quand il en parle . Nos propriétaires sont des gens ouverts , qui ont souvent réussi dans la vie . Ils sont tombés amoureux de l ’ île Maurice ! Arrivés à Anahita en semi-retraite , ils sont surpris par les opportunités ; les rencontres sont faciles , ils redeviennent des investisseurs sur notre île ! Une trentaine de familles vit ici à l ’ année , les autres reviennent régulièrement , plusieurs fois par an . Il y a des signes qui ne trompent pas : ils prolongent de plus en plus leur séjour et beaucoup réinvestissent dans d ’ autres biens à Anahita ... La vie est douce sur la côte est .
Est-elle aussi douce pour le marché immobilier mauricien qui fait face à une forte concurrence internationale ? L ’ immobilier de luxe réservé aux étrangers est un domaine relativement nouveau sur l ’ île . Il existe depuis 2002 . Avec des programmes comme celui d ’ Anahita , entre autres , nous positionnons Maurice comme une destination internationale . Nos atouts sont extraordinaires : il n ’ y a que deux heures de décalage avec l ’ Europe , l ’ île est bilingue , le climat est doux toute l ’ année , le peuple est accueillant , les infrastructures sont très avancées par rapport à d ’ autres régions du monde . Dans de nombreux classements , l ’ île Maurice est très bien positionnée , voire même souvent leader en Afrique . Nous avons des concurrents dynamiques , comme le Portugal , qui est une destination attractive mais qui se positionne sur des budgets plus modestes . Nos atouts sont différents mais il faut rester très vigilants . Si certains aspects sont encore à améliorer , notamment au niveau technologique avec la fibre optique et le respect de l ’ environnement , l ’ île Maurice demeure exceptionnelle à l ’ échelle mondiale . Nous comptons continuer de la promouvoir comme telle à l ’ international .
Patrice Legris , it has been 10 years since Anahita opened its doors . What can be said of the first decade ? The project hit the ground running . Down the line , like everything else , we encountered some problems due to the financial crisis of 2008 . Anahita had no intention of changing course and until today has held on to its promise of building a village where epicureans from across the globe could meet . The owners have witnessed the devotion of the Group to meet these requirements . We are celebrating our ten-year anniversary , and our vision is only going to spread .
It could not fall at a better time ; Mauritius is celebrating its 50 years of independence . Let ’ s project ourselves , how do you picture Anahita in 2068 ? There are currently 230 owners at Anahita . The master plan provides for some 325 owners once the northern plots are completed with the Horizon Villas on the golf course and several ocean-facing residences . This represents only 13 % land occupation . It is a huge estate , with 213 hectares of nature which we want to preserve while designing in an intelligent way . Within the next 50 years , there will be other development projects beyond Anahita . On a regional basis , we try to sustain our place as the leader on the East Coast . The idea is to plan responsible development in this area , by preserving the authenticity and the ‘ greenery ’ of the East .
With this in mind , how will the ‘ rich ’ Anahita relate itself to the picturesque neighbouring village of Trou d ’ Eau Douce , symbolic landmark of the East Coast ? With Anahita , we are socially and environmentally accountable .
Trou d ’ Eau Douce forms part of this reflection process . We aim to support the development of this village as much as possible in a wellthought-out manner . It is a region experiencing rapid development that boasts an incredibly authentic feel . We are currently carrying out programs focusing on education , sports and culture to offer new prospects to young people in this underprivileged area . We renovated two schools and financed school facilities . We also offer training and job opportunities to locals in the agricultural and hotel sectors , where there is an important demand for labour . Lastly , Alteo financed a kickboxing club . Some of its members proudly defended the colours of Mauritius abroad , like William Bouton who became the junior kickboxing world champion . Our actions have some kind of positive impact and sometimes represent a stepping stone for the inhabitants of the area .
Let us get back to Anahita . Who are these 230 owners ? Our owners come from all around the world and are looking for a unique setting , which cannot be found elsewhere . We are a village with all the advantages of a five-star hotel , from having access to seven restaurants including one on île aux Cerfs , with the possibility of calling upon a personal chef , to having a choice of activities , a boat house , a spa , or even two unique golf courses designed by Ernie Els and Bernhard Langer . Many came here on holiday and left as owners ! When we launched the project in 2006 , our customers were mainly British . Since 2011 , the French-speaking community has become the majority . Today 80 % of our owners come from Europe , the others are Mauritians , South Africans or from other areas of the world . The age bracket of the owners ranges from 40 to approximately 65 years of age .
Owners at Anahita are obviously very involved in their new Mauritian life . Indeed . For example , we have an art gallery in the heart of the village of Anahita which was set up by one of our owners . We encouraged him and provided support along the way . Another owner currently finances the restoration of a school with his own resources . We help him by volunteering . He is very moved when he talks about it . Our owners are open-minded people , who in most cases , have succeeded in life . They fell in love with Mauritius ! Settling down in Anahita as semi-retired people , they are surprised by the opportunities offered to them : meeting new people is easy , they are reinvesting in our island ! About thirty families live here all year ; the others go back and forth several times a year . There are telling signs : they often extend their stay , and many reinvest in other Anahita properties … Life is sweet on the East Coast .
Is it as sweet for the Mauritian property market considering the stiff international competition ? Luxury properties targeting foreigners is a relatively new segment on the island . It exists since 2002 . With projects such as Anahita , amongst others , we position Mauritius as an international destination . Our advantages are extraordinary : only two-hour difference with Europe , the climate is pleasant all year long , the people are welcoming , the island is bilingual and boasts advanced infrastructure compared to other areas of the world . Mauritius is very well positioned in many rankings and is often seen as the leader in Africa . We are facing strong competition from countries like Portugal , which is an attractive destination but mainly focuses on more modest budgets . Our advantages differ but we must be very careful . Even though there are still aspects to be improved , in particular on a technological level , with optical fibre and environmental protection Mauritius remains an exceptional option on a global scale . We intend to continue promoting Mauritius as such , internationally .
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