Some indications had been made earlier in the year that Mauritius Tourism Ministry planned to create a uniform rating system for its hotels and resorts. This is similar to the standardised systems used by other East Africa countries. According to Michael Sik Yuen Minister of Tourism, the rating system is now complete and will soon be in place. Yeun announced earlier in the week that the criteria will be used across all sectors.
It was created to standardize hotel ratings. This applies regardless of whether they are family-friendly Mauritius hotels or resorts that cater for romantic couples. As its counterpart in other countries, The Ministry of Tourism does not like the industry-standard. "star" system. It is too random and heavily dependent upon the power of industry giants. The new system is expected to be fair for all the resorts and hotels in the island.
Now, it is unclear if Mauritius’ criteria is consistent with the one used by Seychelles or the Maldives and other Vanilla Island nation. Yuen did not give any indication of such but it doesn’t necessarily mean that this isn’t the case. It would provide an uniform standard for the entire region if it matches, experts say, and that would greatly benefit the tourism industry.
Criticisms of this plan concern not only whether standards will remain the same but also whether trainees for the actual rating will receive the same training as those from other countries like Seychelles. According to them, if the training system isn’t uniform it will not be possible for standardization to produce an equally applicable rating system. The criticisms have been met with silence from government officials who said that it is too early to know what the results will be.
Mauritius is still a top choice for British and French tourists, regardless of its rating. The island offers a relaxing vacation experience, with spectacular weather, beautiful natural surroundings and a multitude of water sports. Three, four and five star resorts are available for all budgets and tastes. They offer great dining and shopping options as well as nightlife and chances to experience nature.
Experts in Mauritius expect that the island will see at least 980,000 visitors this year, despite the continued weakness of Western Europe’s economy. If the positive numbers of the first quarter continue, the Tourism Ministry will be able to reach its original goal of 1,000,000 arrivals. That would mean that 980,000 arrivals is more than 20,000 more than the year before. You don’t have to be a tourist to Mauritius.