Travel & Leisure

Discover the Real Mauritius

Known as ‘Paradise Island’ thanks to being soaked in sun for most of the year, Mauritius has become a big hit on the ‘to-visit list’ of many tourists.

Imagine this. You wake up in the morning, go on an incredible dive in the sea and relax for an hour at the beach. Then you go inland for a tropical forest exploration on a zip-line. After that you head to a typical Dravidian south Indian temple that was built in the 1800s. In the evening you visit a château, which was once the home of a French aristocrat, and enjoy a gourmet dinner. There is more to a holiday in Mauritius than just perfect white sand beaches and turquoise waters, although they are the foremost draw to this island, and played a major part in attracting a record number of tourists in 2015.

Growing in Popularity

Starting out as a small tourist destination in the 1980s attracting just handfuls of holiday-makers, Mauritius has become extremely popular. In2014, for the first time ever, the island welcomed over 1 million tourists with numbers growing steadily since, reaching 1.15 million arrivals in 2015. With 11% growth, the Indian Ocean island is a top performer in the region. Despite this record growth, Mauritius remains a tranquil destination, and it has avoided many of the mistakes that others have made in termsof high-rise buildings on the beachfront. The tourism sector contributes around 7% to the country’s GDP, and the island’s authorities say this comparatively low figure helps maintain its authenticity. There is a wide range of accommodation facilities available. With over 200 hotels, villas and hostels on offer throughout the island, visitors are truly spoilt for choice. The best time to go? All year round. Even in winter, the island enjoys warm weather and hotels still boast occupancy rates of up to 80%.

“With an island as diverse and authentic as Mauritius, the main focus is to ensure Mauritius retains its tremendous reputation. The ministry is constantly looking at improving and maintaining every aspect of the island, from the environment to the cleanliness of the water and to the hotels. It is an excellent destination, but there is always room for improvement.”

Xavier -Luc Duval, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and External Communication

Getting There

Voted as the best airport in Africa by Airport Council International, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (SSR) is the main international airport in Mauritius. There are currently 17 airlines serving more than 35 destinations, including direct flights to; Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Delhi, Singapore, London, Vienna, Hong-Kong and many more. The airport along with the Government would like to see Mauritius becoming a hub in the Indian Ocean, as it is in prime position to act as a link between Asia and Africa. In 2015, the government opened air access and successfully attracted more airlines. As a result, the airport saw a huge 10% growth increase as 3.1 million passengers passed through.

Expanding the Market

The holiday destination has long held a wide appeal to travellers from all over the world; however, its key markets are European, including growing numbers of German travellers. The authorities are now seeking to attract tourists from countries such as China and India amongst others. The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) is focusing their marketing initiatives on new countries in order to bring in tourists, although the island is not in the numbers game. Diversification, as in other sectors of Mauritius’ economy, is also the order of the day in the tourism industry. At present, 80% of arrivals in Mauritius come from nine core markets including the UK, Germany and Italy, but the MTPA would like to increase this spectrum.

Active Holidays

Famous for its beaches, lagoons and lush landscapes, the island has invested in leisure activities, and there is an abundance of things to do in Mauritius. From swimming with dolphins and water-skiing to deep sea fishing, there is no shortage of activities. There are relaxing spas and massage centres as well as golf courses. Visitors can go diving, yachting, hiking, trekking or even experience the best views via a helicopter tour. There is Mauritius Botanical Gardens, famous for its giant waterlilies and spice garden, as well as Black River Gorges National Park, protecting the island’s rainforest and home to many wild animals and birds.

“There is no such thing as a low season in Mauritius. We have a summer and a winter season. Even in the winter season from April to September temperatures rise to around 20 degrees Celsius. There are many activities to do and events to attend, from track train marathons to golf tournaments, in addition to cycling, gastronomic as well as water sports and kite surfing events. There’s still time for a wonderful swim with your family and to explore some of the inner beauties of the country.”

Kevin Ramkaloan, Director of the MTPA

Quality Appeal

However, as it competes with other luxury destinations such as the Seychelles and the Maldives, the Government and relative authorities are doing everything they can to up the ante in terms of making Mauritius the best it can possibly be. The island is now pursuing new strategic objectives in order to improve the quality of the tourism sector as a whole, including maintaining Mauritius’ quality reputation as well as improving every aspect of the island, from the environment to hotels. The agenda is to make Mauritius an unbeatable island destination.

The Tourism Ministry has put a stop to the opening of new hotels for two years in order to re-balance the supply and demand between hotel rooms and tourist arrivals. This comes to an end in 2016 and has been a great success. Existing hotels were able to re-look at their product and maintain their standards, refurbish, train their staff and provide a quality environment for their visitors

“We want to make the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (SSR IA) a model reference airport of the world in its category. The new passenger terminal with an annual capacity of 4.5 million passengers relieves the serious physical constraints we had with our previous terminal. We are now planning for the future. The construction of a new aircraft stand for new large aircraft will allow us to handle two A380 type aircraft simultaneously.”

Romesh Bhoyroo, CEO of Airports of Mauritius (AML)

Future Plans

This year, Mauritius expects to experience between 6 and 10% growth in tourist arrivals. A number of events, such as the Rugby World Cup 10 and the Mary Pierce Indian Ocean International Women’s Tournament, in addition to golf competitions, cycling events and gastronomic events, will help in reaching this target. While flawless nature and picturesque beaches have long made Mauritius a dream destination, it is today far ahead of what other tropical holiday hotspots offer in terms of leisure activities. Never one to rest on its laurels, in the future Mauritius is seeking to build an international aquarium, attract modern art galleries and improve its museums, as well as its nightlife and shopping experiences to maintain its status as a top Indian Ocean premium destination