TOURISM
# Mauritius Now ! Vacationers Paradise !
By William Kalombo
About Mauritius
Mauritius was eventually discovered by the Arabs , followed by tribes of Malays , and some hundred years later , by the Portuguese in the early 16th century . The island was more or less successfully occupied by the Dutch , French , and British before gaining independence in 1968 . Since then , it has evolved from a lowincome , agricultural economy to a diversified middle-income economy with a growing industrial , financial , and tourism sector .
The Indian Ocean island nation is known for its beaches , lagoons and reefs . The mountainous interior includes Black River Gorges National Park , with rainforests , waterfalls , hiking trails and wildlife like the flying fox . The capital city , Port Louis has sites such as the Champs de Mars horse track , Eureka plantation house and 18th-century Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens .
The country includes several islands of volcanic origin . Besides the main island of Mauritius , there is Rodrigues Island 600 km away to the east and two outer islands , Agaléga , 1065 km to the north , and the uninhabited archipelago of the Cargados Carajos Shoals ( Saint Brandon ), 430 km to the northeast .
Mauritius , Rodrigues , and Réunion belong to the Mascarene Islands , with Mauritius being the largest . The island is about 61 km long and 45 km wide , with an area of 1,864 km ².
The archipelago has a population of 1.37 million people ( in 2020 ). The island state is the country with the highest population density in Africa . Almost the entire population lives on Mauritius . Spoken languages are Morisien , English , and French . Morisien is a Creole language based on French and is used by almost the entire population in everyday life .
Tourism
Tourism is the third pillar of the economy of Mauritius after manufacturing sector and Agriculture . Tourism contributes significantly to economic growth of the island and has been a key factor in the overall development of Mauritius . The most important economic feature of activities related to the tourism sector is that they contribute to three high-priority goals of developing countries : generation of income , employment , and foreign-exchange earnings . In these cases , long-term programs for tourism development have been designed .
Mauritius is considered a luxury travel destination . The island is known for its crystal clear water with different shades of blue and green , white palm-fringed signature beaches with powder-fine , golden sands , and its fantastic submarine world of coral reefs . Mauritius features a year-round tropical climate , and one will find flowers and sugar cane and forested areas with ebony and eucalyptus trees .
Political System
Mauritius has one of the few stable representative democracies in Africa . The National Assembly is the parliament in the country ’ s singlehouse legislative system . Members of parliament are elected for five years . Head of state is the president , head of government is the prime minister .
Arts & Culture
The culture of Mauritius has been shaped by its history . People from Africa , China , India , and Europe have made the island their home ; their way of life , customs , and traditions influenced the island ’ s daily life . These influences ultimately merged into the cosmopolitan fabric of the unique culture of Mauritius . It is reflected in its music , dance , festivals , local crafts , literature , religion , and language .
MTPA Mega Fam Trip
The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority ( MTPA ) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure of Mauritius established in 1996 by the MTPA Act . MTPA is mandated to promote Mauritius abroad as a tourist destination as well as organize , in collaboration with the local tourist industry , promotional campaigns and activities in Mauritius and abroad .
The task of the MTPA is to promote the country ’ s tourism industry , provide information to tourists on facilities , infrastructures and services , to initiate action to promote cooperation with other tourism agencies , to conduct research into market trends and market opportunities and disseminate such information and other relevant statistical data on Mauritius .
Hon . Obeegadoo Louis Steven , Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Housing , Land Use Planning & Tourism was the chief guest at the # MAURITIUSNOW workshop on Wednesday 17th November . A quote from his speech at the workshop captures the spirit of MTPA ’ s mandate and indeed the reason for the mega fam trip : “ In Mauritius , we continue to prioritize the health of our population , and our staggered reopening was part of this carefully planned policy . Since the reopening of our borders on the 1st of October , we have safely welcomed over 80,000 travelers to date , and look forward to welcoming many more to our home .”
Our Team
I had the privilege to make the short list of distinguished invitees participating in this mega fam trip to Mauritius dubbed # MAURITIUSNOW from 12th to 20th
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