Mauritius: Native Tourism Sector Targets Earnings Equal to Pre-Covid Ranges for 2023

The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, and Minister of Tourism, Mr Steven Obeegadoo, affirmed that the aim set for the native tourism business for 2023 is to document tourism earnings equal to the degrees of 2019, that’s earlier than the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The entire tourism earnings for January to December 2019 had been USD 1,773 billion.

The Deputy Prime Minister was talking at a press convention, this afternoon, on the Labourdonnais Waterfront Lodge, in Port Louis. The target of the press convention was to overview the efficiency of the tourism business over the primary three months of this yr and knowledgeable of the prospects for 2023.

For Mr Obeegadoo, the goal of USD 1,773 billion is achievable, in mild of the optimistic figures concerning vacationer arrivals for the interval January to March 2023, printed by Statistics Mauritius, at the moment. In line with Statistics Mauritius, vacationer arrivals in March 2023 reached 105,663 in comparison with 66,066 in March 2022.

In his situational evaluation of the tourism sector for the yr 2022, Mr Obeegadoo was of the view that there was an upward pattern after the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions had been lifted and the borders re-opened. He said that Mauritius welcomed 997,290 vacationers from 01 January to 31 December 2022, with a major rise in earnings.

The tourism technique for the interval 2023-2024, aiming at sustaining tourism progress and addressing the challenges going through the sector, was additionally dwelt upon by the Deputy Prime Minister. The technique rests upon three pillars specifically advertising initiatives by the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA); the event of tourism product and enhancement of buyer expertise by diversification, greening of the sector and higher high quality; and enchancment of air connectivity. “A ten-year blue print will likely be elaborated as properly in collaboration with the World Financial institution and the Worldwide Tourism Organisation,” stated Mr Obeegadoo.

Regarding the advertising initiatives, the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the necessity to consolidate efforts within the nation’s foremost tourism markets specifically France, United Kingdom, Germany, South Africa and Reunion Island regardless of the passable restoration price. As for the ‘alternative markets’ corresponding to India, the Gulf States, China and different European markets, Mr Obeegadoo harassed the significance of gaining insights on the specificities of those locations for potential tourism progress.

Concerning air connectivity, the Deputy Prime Minister saluted the efforts of the flag service airline, Air Mauritius, which might be working two new flights to New Delhi per week as from Could 2023, rising its five-flights to London Gatwick per week to seven-flights per week as from October 2023, and establishing two flights per week to Geneva between October 2023 to January 2024. He put ahead, too, the 5 extra weekly flights by Vistara on the India-Mauritius route as from finish of March 2023, and the introduction of two flights per week from Frankfurt to Plaisance between Could and September 2023 by Eurowings.