MAURITIUS TOURISM PROMOTION AUTHORITY REVEALS NEW HOTEL GRADING CRITERIA
The Mauritius Minister for Tourism Mr. Michael Sik Yuen earlier this week made public the criteria to be used for the classification and grading of hotels across the island. Aimed at enhancing the quality of services and reflect the reality of how clients see a hotels standing vis a vis the present self styled allocation of stars, the new system was developed by the MTPA in close consultation and cooperation with international advisors, local stakeholders and tourism experts.
It could not be ascertained though if the Mauritius model of grading and classification of hotels, resorts, lodges, inns and restaurants has been done with any consultation amongst the other Vanilla Islands to be comparable across the Indian Ocean islands other main tourist destinations, similar to the development of East Africas catalogue of criteria for grading and classification of hospitality businesses under the auspices of the East African Community, or if the Mauritius model has been developed purely for Mauritius alone and hence in some degree of isolation. The question has been sent, if alternatively RETOSA recently held a meeting of SADC tourism ministers in Port Louis the new system has been harmonized with SADC or been aligned with other RETOSA member countries as a regular contributor from the island has questioned: It is all fair and good to put such a new system into place. But first, how capable is MTPA, how are the human resources in regard of training those doing the rating and grading. We all know how MTPA compares in the Indian Ocean region when it comes to promoting our tourism industry where others are capturing the limelight ahead of us. Secondly, were those criteria in any way created by looking at what other SADC members have done, or have we now reinvented the wheel. There are always close contacts with Seychelles, has their system been looked at and been compared? Justified questions and perhaps answers will be forthcoming, so as the saying here goes, watch this space.
