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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