A Mauritian minister is here to promote his small island country of 1.2 million people in the southwest Indian Ocean as a family tourist destination for Saudis. “We are here to invite Saudis to Mauritius,” said C.G. Xavier Luc Duval, Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Leisure and External Communications, in an interview with Saudi Gazette here Wednesday. At present only about a thousand Saudis visit Mauritius every year despite the fact that there are no visa requirements for them to enter this country, which has been rated by the New York Times as top four tourist destinations in the world. “We are here to learn about the Saudi market requirement,” said Duval, who met a number of Saudi businessmen. The response has been excellent, he said. Mauritius has appointed a PR representative in Dubai to take care of the huge Mideast market. It has tie-up with the Emirates airlines which flies daily from Dubai to Port Louis. Mauritius is an open economy based on sugar production, textile export, call centers, IT and financial services. Tourism forms 9 percent of the GDP. Some 75,000 people are working in the tourism industry. “On an average there are 30,000 tourists residing in Mauritius everyday,” said Duval. Most of these tourists are from European countries. But now Mauritian tourism is trying to tap potential markets like Saudi Arabia by promoting this home of the fabled extinct bird Dodo as a “high quality” tourist spot. “Mauritius offers safety, security, privacy and good experience,” says Duval. Food is hygienic. All meat is halal since Muslims form 20 percent of the population. And no vaccinations are required to travel to Mauritius. Duval says Mauritius has six game reserves and tourists - on an average – stay 11 days to enjoy the serene beaches and gentle seas. Mauritius, which is the Asian gateway to Africa or as Duval put it “Hong Kong of Africa,” was recently in news because of a landmark visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao during his African tour. “China has five economic zones in Africa, Mauritius is one of among them,” said Duval. China has selected Mauritius to showcase its products to Africa, he said. Duval, however, admits that Mauritian economy too is subject to the vagaries of the world economy. But to withstand the shock of the global economic meltdown, Mauritius is looking at its source market and at the emerging market, which is India, China and the Mideast. At the doorsteps of South Africa, how does Mauritius plan to woo away tourists from its bigger brother? “Tourism is not only about relaxing; we offer real experience,” says Duval. And the real experience can only be experienced by visiting this island off the coast of Madagascar, as the wag said the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
