NEW MINISTER FOR TOURISM APPOINTED IN MAURITIUS
(Posted 27th December 2014)
Hopes among the tourism and hospitality businesses on Mauritius are high, that a fundamental change in their sector is now underway, as a new government has taken office and a new tourism minister been appointed.
The former office holder Michael Sik Yuen, who lost his seat after controversially ditching his party some time ago, was often seen as a fence sitter vis a vis regional cooperation among the so called Vanilla Islands Organization and several sources have since last week written to this correspondent expressing their wishes that the top leadership of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority too will be swept out of office to make way for a new team with innovative ideas.
Among the first to congratulate the new Mauritius’ Tourism Minister Xavier-Luc Duval, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister in the new coalition government, was his counterpart from the Seychelles, Alain St. Ange.
Minister St. Ange, in a communication availed to this correspondent, wrote to the Right Honourable Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism saying: ‘
We are writing to firstly congratulate you on your electoral victory and to say that we welcomed the news that you had also taken over the tourism portfolio.
Anne Lafortune, my PS for Tourism and Sherin Naiken, my CEO of the Tourism Board join me in welcoming you as the new Minister of Tourism of Mauritius, and together we say that we are looking forward to working with you for the consolidation of the tourism industry of our respective islands and of our Indian Ocean Region.
Mr Deputy Prime Minister we look forward to meeting with you officially in the coming months, and see how we can together plan common strategies to grow the tourism cake of our region.
We want to end by reassuring you that we remain willing and able to work with you and Mauritius for the benefit of the islanders of both Mauritius and Seychelles and also of the member states of the Vanilla Islands’
The Tourism Ministry in Mauritius being moved to the jurisdiction of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, signals an elevation in importance and of finally being cognizant of the economic contributions the tourism industry makes to the Mauritius economy. In recent years has Mauritius lost her position as the previously undisputed market leader in terms of arrivals and revenues among the Indian Ocean island destinations to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and the island’s tourism industry had vocally advocated for a change in direction and leadership which sadly never happened under the former government.
All eyes are now on the new Minister for his first major decisions on how tourism to the island can be revived and reinvigorated and be sure to read all about that positive change, when it happens, right here.
Congratulations from this correspondent too on Mr. Duval’s election and appointment to this important portfolio.
2 Responses
It will be interesting to see whether the long-overdue changes at the top in Mauritian tourism result in a radical change of direction, particularly regarding co-operation with neighbouring islands and countries. Last year, the Vanilla Islands project seemed to have stalled; will a more enlightened attitude in Mauritius get it moving again?
Mauritius is currently distracted by the very public humiliation of former prime minister Navin Ramgoolam, who was arrested on 6 Feb on charges of money laundering and conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Huge quantities of cash have been found at his house in two safes and two suitcases. He was booked to fly out of the country on 8 Feb, which possibly explains the police’s action in searching his house.
Given that many of Ramgoolam’s appointments were on the basis of personal connection and friendship, the ongoing investigation into his activities while in power may well spread to other members of his circle, potentially including tourism. The new government has stated, and acted on, its determination to root out all those associated with the Ramgoolam regime. Expect more heads to roll.
Any taint of corruption could prove highly damaging for Mauritius’ reputation as one of the cleanest and safest countries in Africa for outside investors, including in tourism.
A strong anti corruption stand, based on facts and not on mere political expedience and vengeance, will benefit Mauritius. The past regime was regularly accused of many ills and used state power to escape prosecution. As to changes at MTPA, the sooner the overhaul will take place the better. It reminds me of the Herculean task to clean out the stables …
W.