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Mauritius is open for business Following 18 months of lockdown restrictions and border closures, Mauritius reopened its borders, on 1 October, to welcome the world back to its shores once again. During this time, the island managed the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent widespread infections and received praise from the World Health Organisation for its handling of the virus.
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oping with Covid-19 Now having achieved herd immunity, with almost 70 per cent of its population vaccinated, this award-winning paradise island in the Indian Ocean is open for business. Recent global accolades include being named in the top three when Lonely Planet, one of the world’s most renowned travel guide producers, unveiled its top 10 countries to visit in 2022. And, at the recent 2021 World Travel Awards, Mauritius was awarded as both the Indian Ocean Islands’ Leading Wedding and Adventure Destination. It is no wonder that Mauritius is the ideal destination to visit, whether it’s for a business trip or an industry conference, an adventure excursion or simply to reawaken your soul, after a stressful year and a much-needed break. The island’s tourism and hospitality sectors were amongst the first to be vaccinated since the tourism sector plays such a vital
role in the country’s economic growth. Now a Covid-safe destination, it has been praised by the World Health Organisation for its management of the global pandemic. Everyone working in the industry follows the very strict safety and hygiene protocols put in place by the Mauritius Government to protect both the local population and all visitors to the island. South Africans have a special affinity with Mauritius. So, it was no surprise that the bookings started pouring in again when the travel ban with South Africa was lifted, the borders reopened, and Air Mauritius announced the resumption of flights between the two countries from the beginning of October. Meeting in Mauritius Having hosted a series of virtual business meetings, webinars, workshops and expos during the past year and a half, it’s time to get back to business. This is the view of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority
6 Business Events Africa November 2021
at a glance Mauritius is a small island (approximately 2,500 sq. km), situated in the Indian Ocean, off the east coast of Africa, surrounded by 330 km of protective coral reef. Port Louis is the capital city of Mauritius and is the country’s bustling administrative and commercial hub.
Population: 1.3 million.
Languages spoken: The Mauritian population is multilingual; however, the official language is English. Creole is the country’s native language, while French is also widely spoken.
Climate: Tropical
Economic information: Mauritius has shifted from an agricultural-based economy to a diversified economy. Key products and services include tourism, textiles, sugar, financial services and ICT/business process outsourcing sectors. www.businesseventsafrica.com
