After more than a year or two of strict anti-covid measures resulting in long border closures, Mauritius is now easing up its measures.
On July 1, the island removed all travel restrictions, including the Covid-19 test for unvaccinated travelers. These measures are part of a sectoral recovery plan led by the Mauritius tourism ministry. They are financed to the tune of approximately 8.8 million euros. Objective: to boost tourism revenues.
"I am convinced that the recovery from the pandemic is on track. The easing of health measures will further boost bookings for the second half of 2022," said Mauritius Tourism Authority Director Arvind Bundhun in a media appearance.
Mauritius tourism represents nearly 24% of GDP and the national strategic plan aims at 2 million visitors by 2030. The island was well on its way to achieving this goal before the deadline, since in 2019 it was already at 1.42 million tourists, for 1.81 billion euros. These figures were reduced to one-fourth during the health crisis.
This year, the Mauritian authorities are counting on 1 million tourist arrivals. This would be a great success after 316,000 tourists for 453.51 million euros in revenue in 2020 and the drop to 179,780 visitors in 2021. In collaboration with the various players in the sector, the island has launched a campaign in an effort to attract and accommodate the maximum number of tourists this summer.