Travel for a cause!

MESSAGE BY LINDSAY MORVAN – DIRECTOR OF THE MAURITIAN TOURISM AUTHORITY

The Tourism sector is facing tough challenges for obvious current reasons. The Covid-19 pandemic, since mid-March 2020, has put all of us in a challenging situation. Tourist arrivals have stopped since and many of our operators who work directly with tourists have been forced to resume their activities. Fortunately, there have been some bold measures from the government to assist operators and their employees with the Wage Assistance Scheme as well as other schemes to support the private sector. We are grateful that Mauritius is COVID-free for nearly five months now, putting the country  in the forefront of destinations that have won the battle against the pandemic. However, we need to be as vigilant as ever to prevent another potential outbreak. This is the reason behind a careful and progressive opening of our borders, starting from 1 October 2020, with the imposition of a quarantine for the time being.

Opening on a step-by-step basis will allow us to take into account lessons from the first phase before we start welcoming tourists in our optimum capacity. This way, we will be able to respect all sanitary protocols and still offer our renewed hospitality service.

Following the Wakashio oil spill, we have yet another task to attend to. Mauritius is famous for its beautiful environment and rich biodiversity, which the oil spill has unfortunately put at risk. With the support of the unwavering solidarity of the Mauritian civil society, the authorities and the experts, we have again shown our determination to overcome this unprecedented challenge. With most of the oil having been captured, we do reckon that we have many months of deep cleaning and restoration ahead of us.

This is why sustainable tourism is so important. Tourism, besides bringing considerable earnings to the island, is of great value in showing the world that Mauritius is a unique destination in many aspects. Involving the tourists in the rehabilitation phase will create a sense of belonging and shared values between them and local residents. Mauritius attracts more than a million of visitors each year and each one brings back home timeless memories!

Let us make these memories even more meaningful and impactful. Travel for a cause!