Mauritius has witnessed a dip in Indian arrivals in the recent past but has powered on undeterred to promote its destination and offerings in a bid to further tap the Indian market. India remains the key source market for the country and Mauritius Tourism and Promotion Authority (MTPA) has been successfully trying to promote Mauritius as a wedding destination in the India market, keeping in consideration the big fat Indian weddings. “MTPA has great plans for the upcoming year and they are targeting every strata of Indian market including tier –II and III cities very aggressively be it for the leisure, MICE, wedding or adventure tourism,” said Kevi Ghei, Chairman, Trac Representation, which represents MTPA in India.
Mauritius is currently witnessing a remarkable growth in the number of tourists from India. According to Ghei, the tourism board aspires to expand the diverse product offering of the destination. Mauritius welcomed 55,197 Indian tourists in 2012 contributing significantly to the tourism receipts of the destination. “With a potential source base of Indian travellers seeking unique activity based indulgences, Mauritius has registered a robust growth over the years and remains as the preferred destination amongst the family, honeymooners, MICE & Special Occasion segments and the Indian Film Industry,” he added. MTPA has participated in a number of trade initiated activities with the Indian Travel Trade other than participating in SATTE 2013.
The country has even offered special rebates for Bollywood film productions in the destination. MTPA, Air Mauritius and the country’s Ministry of Art and Culture recently met with film producers to offer 30 per cent rebate for all expenditure for filming in Mauritius, an increase from earlier. Further, visa procurement always plays a key role and a decisive factor for all the markets. “Visa is on arrival and is free of cost for a valid Indian passport holder and a confirmed booking for accommodation. Sufficient funds to meet the costs of stay (US$100 per night), he said.
Recently MTPA introduced self drive. “For the experiential Indian traveller we are planning various activities that include Sky Diving & interaction with Cheetahs. MTPA plans to bring in many more nerve wrecking experiences for the Indian source market in future,” concluded Ghei. According to him, Mauritius offers a wide range of activities for travellers such as parachute flight, blue safari, cruise to Tamarin Bay and ‘Underwater walk’ among others.
