Ministry of Tourism (Mauritius)

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Ministry of Tourism
Ministère de Tourisme
Coat of arms of Mauritius (Original version).svg
Agency overview
Formed1968
Jurisdiction Government of Mauritius
HeadquartersAir Mauritius Centre, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
Ministers responsible
Agency executive
  • Indira Rugjee, Permanent Secretary
Website tourism.govmu.org

The Ministry of Tourism is a ministry in the government of Mauritius responsible for planning and adopting policies and legislation in relation to tourism within Mauritius. The ministry, which oversees an integral part of the Mauritian economy, also ensures and implements standards within the tourism sector with focus on sustainable development.

Contents

The tourism portfolio has existed since 1968 under the foreign ministry as External Affairs, Tourism and Emigration. However, it was not until 1991 that the tourism portfolio was given its own separate ministry, independent from others, which continues to this day. Richard Duval is the incumbent minister of tourism, having been appointed on 22 November 2024. The junior minister, Sydney Pierre, was also appointed on the same day with responsibility to assist the minister.

Organization

The political head of the Ministry is the Minister for Tourism. Senior staff include the Permanent Secretary and other members of the Administration Section. [1] The work of the Ministry is divided between the Technical Unit, which covers policy and planning, and the Leisure Unit, which promotes leisure activities for citizens and tourists. [2]

Other public bodies also operate under the aegis of the Ministry: the Tourism Authority, which regulates the tourist industry, [3] the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, which promotes Mauritius as a tourist destination, [4] and the Tourism Employees Welfare Fund.

Policy

According to the Ministry, "[T]he National Tourism Policy emphasizes low impact, high spending tourism", [5] and sees Mauritius as a high-end tourist destination. [6] The government's National Long-Term Perspective Study, published in 1997, noted the growth in tourist arrivals and proposed a "green ceiling" on the number of tourists to prevent overdevelopment of the island's environment, with increased revenue coming from higher spending per tourist. [7] Tourist arrivals have grown from 422,463 in 1995 [8] to a forecasted 1,030,000 for 2014. [9] The continued growth in tourist arrivals has been criticized by We Love Mauritius, an environmental non-governmental organization. [10]

In 1997, there were 87 hotels with a total capacity of 6,800 rooms and 14,100 bedplaces. Average room occupancy rates were 72% for all hotels and 78% for large hotels (defined as established beach hotels with more than 80 rooms). Figures for bed occupancy rates were 64% and 70% respectively. Several beachside resort hotels are owned and/or operated by large groups such as Sun International and Beachcomber Hotels. It is estimated that around 25% of visitors stay in non-hotel accommodation, such as boarding houses, self-catering bungalows and with friends and relatives. [5]

The Ministry's Strategic Direction for 2013 to 2015 states that it seeks continued growth of at least 5% annually in the tourism sector, and addresses declining demand from traditional markets such as Europe by seeking customers from other regions such as China, India, and Russia. [11] Mauritius also participates with other island nations in the Indian Ocean in the Vanilla Islands scheme to promote themselves collectively as a tourist destination. [12]

List of ministers

PortraitNameTerm of officePortfolio namePartyPrime ministerRef.
Took officeLeft office
Portfolio previously combined under the Ministry of External Affairs, Tourism and Emigration
Gaetan Duval 1983.tiff Sir Gaëtan Duval 14 January
1986
12 August
1988
Employment and Tourism PMSD A. Jugnauth [13]
[14]
Michael Glover, 1983.jpg Michael Glover 15 August
1988
27 September
1991
Youth, Sports and Tourism MSM [15]
Noël Lee Cheong Lem27 September
1991
13 February
1995
Tourism MMM [16]
RMM
Charles Gaetan Xavier-Luc Duval - World Economic Forum on Africa 2012 (cropped).jpg Xavier-Luc Duval 13 February
1995
10 November
1995
PMSD [16]
José Arunasalom30 December
1995
21 June
1997
MMM N. Ramgoolam [17]
Jacques Chasteau de Balyon2 July
1997
15 September
2000
Tourism and Leisure PTr [18]
Nando Bodha (cropped).jpg Nando Bodha 17 September
2000
23 December
2003
MSM A. Jugnauth [19]
[16]
Bérenger
Anil Gayan 2015 (cropped).jpg Anil Gayan 23 December
2003
5 July
2005
MSM [20]
[21]
Charles Gaetan Xavier-Luc Duval - World Economic Forum on Africa 2012 (cropped).jpg Xavier-Luc Duval 7 July
2005
11 May
2010
Tourism, Leisure and External Communications PMSD N. Ramgoolam [16]
Nando Bodha (cropped).jpg Nando Bodha 11 May
2010
26 July
2011
Tourism and Leisure MSM [16]
Arvin Boolell.jpg Arvin Boolell
Acting
26 July
2011
7 August
2011
PTr [16]
Michael Sik Yuen, 2025.jpg Michael Sik Yuen7 August
2011
13 December
2014
PTr [16]
Charles Gaetan Xavier-Luc Duval - World Economic Forum on Africa 2012 (cropped).jpg Xavier-Luc Duval 15 December
2014
19 December
2016
Tourism and External Communications PMSD A. Jugnauth [16]
Ivan Collendavelloo, 2018.jpg Ivan Collendavelloo 20 December
2016
23 January
2017
Tourism ML [16]
Anil Gayan 2015 (cropped).jpg Anil Gayan 23 January
2017
12 November
2019
ML P. Jugnauth [21]
Joe Lesjongard, 2023.jpg Joe Lesjongard 12 November
2019
25 June
2020
MSM [16]
Steven Obeegadoo, 2023.jpg Steven Obeegadoo 25 June
2020
12 November
2024
PM [16]
Richard Duval, 2025.jpg Richard Duval 22 November
2024
Incumbent ND N. Ramgoolam [22]

See also

References

  1. "Ministry of Tourism and Leisure-Senior Staff". Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  2. "Pay Review 2013" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  3. "Tourism Authority (home page)" . Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  4. "About the MTPA" . Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Tourism Sector". Ministry of Tourism and Leisure. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  6. "Q&A Hon. Michael Yeung Sik Yuen - Minister of Tourism and Leisure". The Report Company. June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  7. "Back to the future : Vision 2020". 27 May 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  8. "Forestry outlook studies in Africa (FOSA) -- Mauritius". Food and Agriculture Organization. July 2001. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  9. "International Travel and Tourism Year 2013". Statistics Mauritius. 2013. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  10. "Tourism strategy". We Love Mauritius. 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  11. "Ministry of Tourism and Leisure" (PDF). Ministry of Finance, Mauritius. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  12. Wolfgang H Thorne (6 April 2014). "Did Mauritius' Minister for Tourism tell his parliament the truth about the Vanilla Islands?" . Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  13. Legum, C., ed. (1987). Africa Contemporary Record : annual survey and documents 1985-1986. Vol. 18. London, UK: Holmes and Meier. pp. 366–367.
  14. "Deputy Prime Minister Resigns Over Policies". Johannesburg International Service. 12 August 1988. Retrieved 16 February 2025 via FBIS Daily Report Sub-Saharan Africa, 18 August 1988, p. 6.
  15. "Prime Minister Reshuffles Cabinet 15 Aug". Agence-France Presse . 15 August 1988. Retrieved 16 February 2025 via FBIS Daily Report Sub-Saharan Africa, 16 August 1988, p. 6.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "List of Honourable Members - National Assembly Elections 2019". mauritiusassembly.govmu.org. Mauritius National Assembly. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  17. "Mauritius: Opposition election victory". Keesing's Record of World Events . December 1995. p. 40854. Retrieved 9 September 2025 via Keesing's Record of World Events 1995: Vol 41 Iss 12.
  18. "Mauritius: Government changes". Keesing's Record of World Events . July 1997. p. 41721. Retrieved 29 August 2025 via Keesing's Record of World Events 1997: Vol 43 7-8.
  19. "Mauritius: New President and Cabinet". Keesing's Record of World Events . October 2003. p. 45633. Retrieved 9 September 2025 via Keesing's Record of World Events 2003: Vol 49 Iss 10.
  20. "Mauritius: Government changes". Keesing's Record of World Events . December 2003. pp. 45729–45730. Retrieved 9 September 2025 via Keesing's Record of World Events 2003: Vol 49 Iss 12.
  21. 1 2 "Elected members of Legislative Election 2014". mauritiusassembly.govmu.org. Mauritius National Assembly. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  22. "Press Release - Office of the President". facebook.com. GIS Mauritius. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2025.