Mauritian Tourism Industry Risinf Again After A Year Of Severe Decline

For the Mauritian tourism industry this year is not considered as favorable due to the economic crisis that affects the developed countries from where the major tourists are coming. Another adversity which the industry is facing is the fierce competitions among the tour operators. They all have to minimize their profits just for the sake to keep the operation of their business instead of closing their doors.

This year, the Bank of Mauritius provides Rs 40 billion for tourism revenue, representing an increase of nearly Rs 5 billion over the previous year. However, the crisis of the euro could project these revenues downward. According to the MTPA, the second quarter saw 189,180 tourists landing in Mauritius, a figure higher than in 2009. The arrival of tourists during the month of June is according to the seasonal trend of each year and that is still not the peak season.

A tour operator has reported a load factor not exceeding 50% in August. This is partly due to the fact that many of the tourists have chosen low cost accommodation such as bungalows, guesthouses, villas and small cottage instead of high class and expensive hotels.

In the first quarter of 2010, the rate of booking of hotel rooms was 67%, against 63% in first quarter 2009 and 79% in the first quarter of 2008. After a drop of 16% in 2009, the rate of hotels booking rose again in 2010. The Bank of Mauritius tourism receipts estimated Rs 3012 million in May 2010 compared to Rs 2422 million in May 2009, representing an increase of 24%.

249 971 tourists visited Mauritius in the first quarter of 2010, compared to 232,908 in 2009, generating Rs 2.4 million overnight stays and Rs 11 billion in tourism spending. Employment in the tourism sector has increased steadily from 2005 to 2008, from 25,377 to 28,753. In 2009, employment in tourism has dropped to 26,922 because of the economic crisis. The hotel facilities include 105 local hotels listed in March, representing a capacity of 11,564 rooms and 23,547 beds. 45% of the park consists of large hotels with a total of 47 establishments. Of the 105 hotels, five were not operational in March for renovation.