Mauritius looking to double Indian tourist arrivals by 2015

NEW DELHI: Mauritius is targeting to nearly double the number of Indian tourists visiting the island nation to one lakh by 2015, a senior minister of the country said today.

"We are targeting 1,00,000 arrivals from India by 2015," Mauritius Minister of Tourism and Leisure Michael Sik Yuen told reporters here.

The country had received 53,955 visitors from India in 2011, he added.

In order to achieve its target, the government of Mauritius will aggressively promote the country as a tourist destination in India and thus enhance its visibility, he said.

"We are likely to put additional funds if need be, to promote tourism in our country. Emerging countries and India are a strategic market for us. That is why I am in India," Yen said.

On the importance of Indian visitors, he said Indian tourists contributed substantially to the economy of Mauritius as most opt for high-end accommodations.

"The average per person spent by Indian travelers that is USD 360 per person per day and is contributing significantly to the tourism receipts of the destination," he added.

The minster also said that he would ask the Air Mauritius to have additional flights from Mumbai.

At present, there are eight direct flights connecting Mauritius and India, four from Mumbai, one each from Bangalore and Chennai and two from New Delhi.

On the overall global target, Yuen said: "We are looking at emerging markets, including India, China and Russia, to be major contributors to growth of tourism in our country."

The country is expecting a total of 9,80,000 tourist arrivals for 2012 representing an increase of 1.6 per cent from 2011.