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What lessons can be learned after years of crisis ?
The need to establish partnerships between the public and private travel and tourism sectors when defining responses to the crisis . This is what we have done , with brilliance , around the “ Mauritius Now ” platform and this has enabled us to be present in an effective manner when the borders were reopened .
The crisis has also established the role of the state as a major partner of the tourism industry . The government ' s support measures were fundamental in managing the crisis . Finally , the crisis has confirmed what we knew : tourism is a very fragile industry and it is necessary to diversify .
Is this rebound taking place on new bases ?
Most certainly . The crisis has accelerated , for example , the use of technological tools to better identify trends . The recovery had to be both sustainable and inclusive , and that is what we have done . Finally , as I often say , security is the new luxury . We have managed to contain the pandemic through a very successful roll-out of vaccination .
How does the second half of the year look ?
We had every reason to be very optimistic until the war in Ukraine broke out . Nevertheless , we remain very confident and are keeping our eyes on the goal of reaching the one million tourist mark .
What about the traditional Western European clientele ?
Mauritius has a strong presence in Europe . But this continent is vast . We are now focusing more and more on operations with maximum impact .
Which little-known market has great potential ?
More than markets , we are looking at growth segments : ethno-tourism , cultural tourism , medical tourism , “ Work and Live in Mauritius ” or the “ Silver Economy ”. These segments have the same growth potential as golf , for example , which is a great success for Mauritius .
Two years of COVID-19 have not taken their toll on the destination . Is the hardest part behind us ?
Mauritius has always been able to get back on its feet . It seems that the worst is over . But Mauritius doesn ' t want to take any chances . That is why our anti-Covid measures are still rigorous .
When will we be back to pre-pandemic levels ?
According to the WTTC , the global travel and tourism sectors are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023 .
The “ One Mauritius ” plan , which the Minister of Tourism recently unveiled , is based on synergies between the public and private sectors and we are confident that we are on the right path to achieve the desired growth .
Arvind Bundhun , Director of Mauritius Tourism Promotion 33 Authority
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