Budget 2018-19 - tourism sector : making Mauritius a leading cruise destination

The Budget plans to further develop the tourism industry which is the main pillar of our economy, the focus is being put to widen and diversify our tourism product while at the same time increasing arrivals during the low season.

The policy is to enhanced connectivity, sustainability and promoting new tourist attractions. The following measures have been announced:

• Air Mauritius is receiving two new aircraft this year that will increase its capacity and flight frequency while expanding its destination network
• Promoting Mauritius as a leading cruise destination in the Indian Ocean. The construction of a dedicated cruise Terminal Building with cutting edge technologies and modern facilities capable of handling up to 4,000 passengers will greatly contribute to position Port Louis harbour as a cruise hub in the region and as the preferred ‘fly-cruise’ gateway to the Indian Ocean.
• Expanding tourism product and create more linkages with local businesses.
• Developing the potential of Mahebourg as a ‘Village Touristique’ and as a major cultural and eco-tourism attraction. Mahebourg has rich historical and green assets; the Blue Bay Marine Park, Vallée de Ferney, the Naval Museum, the site of the epic Grand Port naval battle, and near-by islets, amongst others.
• Mahebourg will be reinforced with new facilities for cultural shows. Selected streets will be made solely pedestrian during certain hours to encourage street art, musical performances and sales of handicrafts. This Mahebourg regeneration project will be implemented through a public-private partnership endeavor.
• Making Mauritian tourism product more visitor-friendly, new digital platforms will be created to provide information on safety, costs of inland travel, road maps, dining, shopping and exchange rates of currencies
• Improve safety at sea; all pleasure crafts will mandatorily be equipped with an Automatic Identification System to monitor their activities.
• New runway at Plaine Corail Airport Rodrigues to improve air connectivity, tourism development and socio-economic conditions. The project will cost around Rs 3.2 billion and works are expected to start in mid-2019.