Launching of SIM Green E-Pamphlet

One of the objectives of Sustainable Island Mauritius is to assist tourism Operators in incorporating sustainability criteria into their daily operations in view of reaching a Green Destination status. We have been encouraging such transitions through capacity building, workshops, one to one coaching and several visibility actions for sensitisation of the actors of tourism and also the public at large.

Green Financing is an important topic that we address, thereby using our platform to inform Tourism Operators about the existing and forthcoming possibilities in terms of financing of sustainable equipment and products. The project aims at assisting SMEs in the tourism sector to adapt and navigate to a new, innovative, and sustainable growth path. However, many SMEs reported that access to finance is the most challenging part of growth due to high-interest rates, a burdensome application process, and large collateral requirements.

As a consequence, discussions were held with the Mauritius Bankers Association back in November last year, in collaboration with CSCP to create awareness on the various green financing facilities available and improve SME’s competitiveness.

From multiple consultations came the idea of creating the e-pamphlet, entitled “Applying Green Strategies for Building Back Better”, which have been distributed to all tourism operators and is available for download here.

This e-pamphlet is divided into three phases, namely:

• What is green financing & Opportunities and Challenges for Tourism SMEs
• The different financing schemes available which support the green transition and subsequent investments
• An e-directory featuring some organisations proposing green and innovative technologies

We hope that this e-pamphlet will promote the visibility, transparency, and accessibility of sustainable and green financial products to the tourism operators.