Travel, Tourism and Entertainment Innovation (TTEI)
The Travel, Tourism and Entertainment (TTE) sector, being the third pillar of the Mauritian economy, has been contributing significantly to the overall development of the island and fostered economic growth since independence. Given its large share in the national GDP, Mauritius is highly dependent on this sector. A sharp decline was noted from 19.5% in 2019 to 8.7% in 2020, representing a significant decrease of 55.4% (Statistics Mauritius, 2022). This drop was caused as the result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a massive impact on the national economy. While Mauritius is striving in its effort to recover from the impacts of COVID-19, the Travel, Tourism and Entertainment sector needs special attention.
A Working Group was set up with representatives of key stakeholders in the sector. Members included:
1. Ms Dayna Armoogum, Hospitality Plus Ltd
2. Mr Jocelyn Kwok, Association of Hoteliers and Restaurants in Mauritius
3. Mrs Smita Modak, The Lux Collective
4. Dr Perunjodi Naidoo / Dr Prabha Ramseook-Munhurrun, University of Technology, Mauritius
5. Assoc. Prof. (Dr) Robin Nunkoo, University of Mauritius
6. Ms Zaheera Nurudin, Tourism Authority
7. Mr Rishi Purusram, Ministry of Tourism
8. Mr Robin Ramhit, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority
9. Mrs Shanobar Bibi Ansheed Sahebally-Jauhangeer, Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage
10. Mr Georges Soodeen, Programme Leader Tourism and Hospitality, Polytechnics Mauritius Ltd
A meeting was also held with Ms Ayooshee Dookhee, UNDP Mauritius in April 2022.
A sectoral forum, including a panel discussion, was held on 28th April 2022 during “Les Assises de la Recherche et de L’Innovation 2022” and was moderated by Assoc. Prof. (Dr) Robin Nunkoo.
Speakers:
1. Ms Dayna Armoogum, Hospitality Plus Ltd
2. Dr Roubeena Jeetah-Rampadaruth, Mauritius Research and Innovation Council
3. Assoc. Prof. (Dr) Robin Nunkoo, University of Mauritius
4. Ms Vanessa Seebaluck, University of Technology, Mauritius
5. Mr Kiran Tatoree, Mauritius Research and Innovation Council
Panelists:
1. Mr Renaud Azema, Vatel Mauritius
2. Mr Jocelyn Kwok, Association of Hoteliers and Restaurants in Mauritius
3. Mr Sydney Pierre, Marriott International, Mauritius
4. Mr Robin Ramhit, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority
5. Mr Philip Taylor, Hospitality Plus Ltd
Gaps identified were transformed into five (5) strategic orientations:
1. Strengthening efforts towards ensuring Sustainable Tourism (Short term)
2. Human capital development and Capacity building (Short term)
3. Increased marketing/visibility of Mauritius as a tourist destination (Medium term)
4. Advocating for the use of forward-looking data and big data (Long term)
5. Increased air connectivity and airline seat capacity (Long term)
Key recommendations include
1. The creation of an observatory to study the best practices by direct competitors,
2. Revamping of existing MRIC schemes and launching of special call for proposals under this specific thematic
3. Setting up of a tourism regulatory framework
4. Conducting national campaigns to attract new recruits
5. The transformation of the tourism and wellness sectors with a view to promoting the country as a medical tourism destination
6. Paving the way for regional tourism success, amongst others.
By: Mr K Tatoree, Dr R Jeetah-Rampadaruth, Mr P Hurnath,
Ms H Joyram and Ms K Banee