The “Assises du Tourisme 2017” was organized by the Ministry of Tourism of Mauritius on 2 June 2017 to reflect on the challenges facing the industry and to chart a roadmap for the short and medium terms to reposition the sector within the new competitive landscape.

More than 200 tourism stakeholders from the public and private sector participated in the Assises, which revolved around four axes: accessibility, visibility, attractiveness and sustainability of the destination.

The Assises also focused on the issues relating to branding of the destination, safety and security, inland transportation, all-inclusive packages and inclusiveness of the industry, to ensure that the benefits of tourism trickle down to the local communities.

Four main recommendations emanated from the Assises:

• Establishing Mauritius as a festive and vibrant destination and a tourism hub in the Indian Ocean.
• Mainstreaming of ecofriendly practices in tourism development.
• Consolidation of the destination branding as well as online visibility through social media, search engine marketing and mobile apps.
• Increasing airlifting from China to Mauritius to capture a greater share of the Chinese outbound tourist.

In his keynote address, the Hon. Minister of Tourism, Anil Gayan, pointed out that "the Assises du Tourisme” provides an opportunity to reevaluate the performance of the sector and to define a strategy for its long term sustainability. The outcome of the Assises will give a new impetus to the sector to face emerging challenges and propel the industry to new heights of development.’’