The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority organized a destination presentation meeting at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Istanbul. The event was attended by Arvind Bundhun, President of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, Savin Teeha, Tourism Promotion Officer at the Authority, and Masum Aydın, Director of Sales and Marketing for Turkish Airlines in Mauritius.
Positioned off the coast of East Africa and in the Indian Ocean, the country aims to become a prominent player in tourism and gastronomy. Access to the island is facilitated by direct flights from Turkish Airlines.
“We aim to double the number of tourists coming from Türkiye,” stated Arvind Bundhun during the meeting.In 2023, Mauritius welcomed 1.3 million tourists, with a target of reaching 1.4 million in 2024. The majority of visitors come from France, followed by the UK, Germany, and South Africa. From Türkiye, the island saw 4,000 visitors in 2023, with ambitions to increase this figure to 8,000 this year. As Mauritius does not require visas for Turkish citizens, Bundhun is optimistic about achieving this goal. In 2023, tourism generated 87 billion rupees (approximately 3 billion euros) in revenue, with a projected increase to over 100 billion rupees in 2024. Switzerland and Saudi Arabia are among the countries whose tourists spend the most. Additionally, the profile of tourists has evolved post-pandemic; visitors now stay longer and spend more, with average stays increasing from 9 to 12 nights compared to pre-pandemic periods.
Savin Teeha, during a presentation, highlighted that Mauritius is 10 hours from Türkiye and 12 hours from Europe. The island spans 2,040 square kilometers and boasts 114 hotels, rated four and five stars. The summer season begins in November and ends in April, with average temperatures ranging between 28-33 degrees Celsius. The winter season spans from May to October, maintaining temperatures between 22-28 degrees Celsius. Water temperatures hover around 26 degrees Celsius. Mauritius is a family-friendly and hospitable destination with five distinct coastal regions: East, West, South, North, and Southeast. Nightly accommodation costs range from $300-$400 during the winter to $500-$1000 in the summer months.