Air Mauritius receives top quality award

Опубликовано 11.07.2014 автором Olga Leshchenko

Friday, July 11, 2014 MK-awardAir Mauritius has received a 4-Star professional quality rating by global airline ratings company Skytrax.

The Award was presented to Air Mauritius chairman Appalsamy (Dass) Thomas and chief executive André Viljoen by Edward Plaisted, chairman of Skytrax at a ceremony held at the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre.

Thomas said: “The 4-Star category places Air Mauritius in another league – among the world’s best 40 airlines. We now need to continue our efforts in order to sustain the improvements made and continue to deliver value to our customers.  This is the only way to remain in the game in this highly competitive industry.”

Viljoen, who spearheaded the airline’s recovery and sustainability program known as the 7-Step Plan said:  “We have come a long way from where we were three years ago.  We took some tough decisions and revised our business model with the assistance of Seabury APG.”

Рубрика: Island Life, Mauritius | Метки: , , | Добавить комментарий

Ваш паспорт — Ваш пропуск

Английское издание ‘Daily Mail‘ и ‘Good Magazine’ на этой неделе опубликовали данные, что паспорт Гамбии был признан пятым самым удобным в Африке после паспортов Сейшел, Маврикий, ЮАР и Ботсваны. Критериями было количество стран которые можно посещать без визы владельцу паспорта.

В нем говорится, что владельцы паспорта Гамбии могут путешествовать без виз в 68 стран в то время как Сейшельские острова дают безвизовый въезд в 126 страны, Маврикий в 123, Южная Африка в 94 и Ботсвана в 76.

Далеко позади остаются в этом плане Саудовская Аравия, 64 страны, Сьерра-Леоне 63 страны, Гана 61 страна, Сенегал 55 стран, Гвинея и Мали 53 страны, Марокко 51 страна, ​​Египет 46 стран, Китай 43 страны, Ливия 39 стран и Ливан 38 стран.

В докладе также говорится, что, владельцы паспортов из Финляндии, Швеции и Соединенного Королевства, а не США, имеют лучший доступ к зарубежным странам в мире.

Опубликовано 07.07.2014 автором Olga Leshchenko | Добавить комментарий

 

The Riu Le Morne, Riu Creole and Riu Coral, to Open in February 2015

The Riu Le Morne, Riu Creole and Riu Coral, to Open in February 2015

RIU Hotels & Resorts has just finalised the purchase of a resort with three hotels located on the stunning Le Morne Peninsula, on the Island of Mauritius. The new Riu Resort of Mauritius is made up of the Riu Le Morne (Adults Only by Riu), Riu Creole and Riu Coral which are now closed for a refurbishment to adapt their facilities to Riu‘s standards of service. Total investment in the project will be 80 million euros. All three hotels lead directly onto the beach, are 4-star and from their opening in February 2014 will offer Riu‘s renowned All Inclusive 24 Hours service.

The Riu Le Morne has 219 rooms and will be for adults only. In a sophisticated setting, guests of this hotel will be able to enjoy four restaurants and five bars, one of them in the swimming pool with a chill out area. The Hotel Riu Creole, meanwhile, has 167 rooms, three restaurants and five bars; while the Riu Coral, with 144 rooms, also offers three restaurants and five bars. These last two hotels will be ideal for stays with family or friends thanks to their complete daily activities programme and the RiuLand children’s entertainment club.

The resort has a complete spa with a wide selection of relaxation and beauty treatments, in addition to the water zone. The clients of all three hotels will be able to enjoy live music and shows organised each night in the show venue located at the Riu Creole, which also contains the discotheque for all the resort’s customers.

Mauritius is paradise for water sport lovers. The island is considered to be one of the best places in the world for kitesurf and on the very beach of the Riu Resort guests will be able to practice windsurfing, kayaking, snorkel and paddle surfing, amongst other activities.

Mauritius is an island country located in the southwest of the Indian Ocean, 900 kilometres away from the eastern coast of Madagascar. The new Riu hotels are located in the southeast of the island, 60 kilometres away from the country’s capital, Port Louis, and 60 km away from the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam international airport.

The beaches of Le Morne, with their white sand and crystal-clear waters protected by a Coral reef are simply stunning. Le Morne Peninsula is a natural paradise and a UNESCO World Heritage site for its beauty and symbolism. It is overlooked by Brabant, a basalt rock mountain with an altitude of more than 550 metres, which became the symbol of the abolition of slavery after serving for years as a refuge for slaves who had fled.

Lagoons, rivers, cascades, forests, rare native flower species and a rich fauna make up the natural wealth of this island, which along with the warmth of its climate and cultural mix of its inhabitants, forms part of its major attractions.

For further information and reservation: www.riu.com

Опубликовано 03.07.2014 автором Olga Leshchenko | Добавить комментарий

PORT LOUIS, June 30 (Reuters) — Mauritius has cut its economic growth forecast by 0.2 percentage points to 3.5 percent, the statistics office said on Monday, citing lower growth in textile and information and communication sectors.

Statistics Mauritius said the economy grew by 2.4 percent in the first quarter against 3.8 percent a year earlier.

The Indian Ocean island, with an annual gross domestic product of $10 billion, had in March forecast 3.7 percent growth this year, after a 3.2 percent expansion in 2013.

«Textile manufacturing (is) to grow at a rate of 1.5 percent, based on exports data for the first quarter of 2014 compared to the 2.6 percent growth observed in 2013,» Statistics Mauritius said in a statement.

The information and communication sector is also expected to grow at a slower pace, by 6.5 percent from an earlier forecast of 6.9 percent, the agency said.

Last week the deputy managing director of the IMF, Min Zhu, told Reuters Mauritius’ economy would grow by 3.7 percent this year, driven by financial services sector.

The island state is striving to diversify its economy to cut a reliance on the economically troubled euro zone, its main source of revenue from tourism and a major market for its textiles, sugar and services industry. (Reporting by Jean Paul-Arouff; Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Alison Williams)

 

Опубликовано 02.07.2014 автором Olga Leshchenko | Добавить комментарий

power plant rudolf vleck flickrThe Saint Louis Project will add 60MW to the existing power grid in Mauritius. (Image source: Rudolf Vleck/Flickr) The African Development Bank has approved a loan of US$117mn to redevelop the Saint Louis Power Plant in Mauritius

The Mauritius Central Electricity Board (CEB) was given the loan amount to redevelop the 60MW Saint Louis Power Plant. The cost of redevelopment is US$129.7mn and is meant to increase the power generating capacity of the CEB, according to AfDB.

Located five km south of Port Louis, the project would have four heavy fuel oil (HFO) driven 15MW generators, a power station building, two 1,000 cu metre tanks for the storage of HFO and one 132 kV sub-station to connect the power plant to CEB’s main electricity grid, added AfDB.

Alex Rugamba, director of the AfDB’s energy, environment and climate change department, said, «The electricity produced by the project will be distributed to all corners of the main island of Mauritius – where 97 per cent of the population resides.»

Reports stated that Mauritius is going to require more power by the end of 2015, and the CEB would have to generate more electricity. The main sectors of the Mauritian economy – tourism, textiles and financial services – are dependent on a steady supply of electricity and the 60MW generated by the plant would add to the existing power grid.

Опубликовано 30.06.2014 автором Olga Leshchenko | Добавить комментарий

(Reuters) — Mauritius’ central bank and finance ministry agreed to set an inflation target and coordinate other monetary policy issues, the prime minister said, signalling that a row over the direction of interest rates could be over.

The Bank of Mauritius has called for a rate hike to encourage savings while the former finance minister had pushed to keep rates steady, saying the central bank should use other means to draw out excess liquidity.

The row had been played out in public statements. The former minister, Xavier Duval, resigned in June in a row over a separate issue. The premier of the Indian Ocean island nation is now acting finance minister.

The island’s Monetary Policy Committee, five of whose eight members were appointed by the finance ministry, held the benchmark repo rate at 4.65 percent when it last met in April. Some members had argued for a rise.

«A memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Mauritius will be signed shortly that should ensure better clarity on monetary policy and effective coordination on issues such as the management of excess liquidity and the setting up of an inflation target,» Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam said late on Friday.

He did not say when the deal would be signed, but it could bring an end to a public spat about interest rates and other aspects of monetary policy.

Ramgoolam was speaking at a Mauritius Chamber of Commerce dinner.

Year-on-year inflation slipped to 3.40 percent in May from 4.20 percent in April.

(Reporting by Jean Paul Arouff; Writing by Edmund Blair: editing by John Stonestreet)

 

Опубликовано 30.06.2014 автором Olga Leshchenko | Добавить комментарий

Крупнейшее событие Multichoice Африка стартует на Маврикии

Опубликовано 26.06.2014 автором Olga Leshchenko

Multichoice Africa has welcomed some of Africa’s known celebrity faces, media and content owners and providers to the Island nation of Mauritius, for a June 24-28 event aptly dubbed Africa’s Biggest Content showcase.

Over the next few days, some of the leading networks on its platform such as the BBC, Channel O, and Supersport among others will get to showcase their brand to the hundreds gathered at the Trou Aux Biches Resort & Spa venue.

An incredible experience awaits, as the names behind some of its award winning, and value-driven pay TV channels get to tell their story.

A leading digital pay television operator in Africa, Multichoice Africa offers digital multi-platform, multi-channel television entertainment.

The company stands on a proud legacy that has been built by delivering the highest quality of local and international channels on its DStv and GOtv platforms.

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Mauritius trade deficit narrows 8.7 pct yr/yr in April

Опубликовано 24.06.2014 автором Olga Leshchenko

PORT LOUIS, June 23 (Reuters) — Mauritius’ trade deficit narrowed by 8.7 percent in April to 5.86 billion rupees ($193.24 million) from a year earlier, Statistics Mauritius said in a statement on Monday.

Export revenues rose 17.1 percent to 7.76 billion rupees, driven by higher sales of manufactured articles.

Imports edged higher by 4.4 percent to 13.62 billion rupees, led by the rising cost of machinery and transport equipment that increased to 3.05 billion rupees from 2.44 billion a year ago, the statement said.

France and Britain were the main buyers of goods from Mauritius in April, accounting respectively for 13.9 percent, while India supplied 20.6 percent of the island nation’s imports. ($1 = 30.3250 Mauritian Rupees) (Reporting by Jean Paul Arouff; Editing by George Obulutsa and Tom Heneghan)

Reuters Africa

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Маврикий расчитывает на туристов из Азии

Опубликовано 23.06.2014 автором Olga Leshchenko

Маврикий ожидает рост доходов от туризма в пределах 8,2% в этом году, как результат увеличения кол-ва возвращающихся европейских туристов после восстановления экономики еврозоны, но аналитики говорят реальный рост в секторе будет поступать из Азии.

Маврикий насчитал 993000 туристов в прошлом году, на 2,9% выше, чем 2012 году, однако заработки в сфере туризм были на самом деле на 8,6% больше (1340 млн долларов США в 2013 году по сравнению с предыдущим годом). Европейцы составил 57% туристов, в то время как азиаты составляли 10% международных туристов, въезжающих в страну.

На туризм приходится 11,3% от ВВП страны. Barclays Capital считает, что индустрия туризма имеет потенциал роста, но прогнозируемое 3,2%-ное увеличение кол-ва приезжих в 2014 году не может быть достаточно для крупного оборота в секторе услуг. В самом деле, только один новый отель на 126 номеров, планируется быть запущенным в этом году.

«Nonetheless, with the increased attention on diversifying its source markets, with a focus on arrivals from Asia, we remain upbeat on the sector’s recovery prospects,» Barclays Ridle Markus noted.

Last year, the number of Indian tourists rose by 3.7% to 57,255, while the number of visitors from China doubled from to 41,913.

JOB CREATION
The World Travel & Tourism Council expects the country’s tourism and travel sector to grow by 4.4% a year over the next decade, with its share of total national investment rising to 6.5% by 2024 from 5.8% in 2014.

«Travel & Tourism is expected to have attracted capital investment of MUR 5.0 billion (USD 160 million) in 2013. This is expected to rise by 1.7% in 2014, and rise by 4.8% per annum over the next ten years to MUR 8.1billlion in 2024,» the WTTC said in its outlook on the country.

Tourism is an important source of employment for the population of 1.3 million people. The sector generated 63,000 jobs last year (around 11% of total employment), and the figure is expected to reach 82,000 within a decade, according to WTTC estimates.

«The total contribution of Travel & Tourism to employment (including wider effects from investment, the supply chain and induced income impacts) was 137,500 jobs in 2013 (23.9% of total employment),» WTTC said. «This is forecast to rise by 3.6% in 2014 to 142,500 jobs (24.3% of employment). By 2024, Travel & Tourism is forecast to support 179,000 jobs (26% of employment), an increase of 2.3% per annum over the period.»

AFRICA’S MOST COMPETITIVE ECONOMY
With annual GDP growth estimated at a steady 4% until the end of the decade, Mauritius is widely seen as a model of stability in the rough-tumble of Africa.

However falling tourism receipts, along with a weaker construction sector and poor sugar production, saw the economy grow a modest 3.1% growth in 2013. Real GDP growth weakened to 3% in the last quarter of 2013, compared to the previous quarter, as agriculture, mining, construction, accommodation and food services performed poorly. Construction was especially hard hit, shrinking by 19% in the last quarter.

But the Bank of Mauritius expects the economy to pick up steam.

«On the domestic front, notwithstanding the slowdown in growth in 2013Q4, economic activity is projected to pick-up as the recovery in main export markets takes hold,» the central bank said on April 29 after deciding to leave interest rate unchanged at 4.65%.

«The GDP growth forecast has accordingly been maintained within a range of 3.7-4.0% for 2014, up from an estimate of 3.2% for 2013.»

Management consultant KPMG said that a forward-looking approach by policy makers has transformed the economy from a largely agricultural based economy to an international services and financial hub.

«Despite a poor endowment of natural resources and high vulnerability to external shocks — intrinsic to a small open economy — the country has been able to record and sustain strong economic growth while transforming the structure of the economy to support private sector development in various industries,» KPMG noted.

Mauritius recently overtook South Africa as Africa’s most competitive business environment, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2013-14.

The solid fundamentals should help Mauritius at time of relative uncertainty, especially as the European economy may not recover as quickly as hoped.

© Zawya 2014

Рубрика: Island Life, Mauritius | Добавить комментарий

Управление отелем Le Touessrok (Mauritius) передается группе Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts

Опубликовано 20.06.2014 автором Olga Leshchenko

June 19, 2014 (по моему мнению одно из красивейших мест на Юго-Востоке острова)

 “Mauritius is a jewel in the Indian Ocean with white sand beaches. We are excited about the opportunity to invest in and manage a property such as Le Touessrok Resort, which has a rich history and legendary reputation for superb service. With the addition of Shangri-La’s Le Touessrok Resort & Spa, Mauritius to Shangri-La’s portfolio, our guests will have another exotic destination to choose from in our growing collection of resorts in Asia and the Indian Ocean,” said Shangri-La President and CEO Greg Dogan.
Located on the east coast of Mauritius in one of the island’s most spectacular bays, the five-star resort is among the world’s most distinguished. It has three villas and 200 guestrooms and suites, all of which have sea views. Along with extensive water and land-based activities, it offers guests access to two islands: Ilot Mangenie, a private, secluded isle with 3.5 kilometres of pristine beach, and Ile aux Cerfs, where the 18-hole, par 72 championship golf course designed by Bernhard Langer is located. “I am very excited with our new agreement with Shangri-La, which sets the basis of our new strategy to form strong partnerships with highly recognized branded international hotel groups, to manage one of our first class resorts. I believe that the long lasting reputation of the Le Touessrok coupled with its association with Shangri-La will enable this unique resort to achieve its full potential and pave the way for a successful and mutually beneficial collaboration for many years to come.» said Sun Resorts Ltd. CEO Philippe Cassis.
The resort will continue to operate as Le Touessrok until it is renovated and then reflagged. It will be Shangri-La’s third resort located in the Indian Ocean, joining Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives and Shangri-La’s Hambamtota Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka, which opens summer 2015. Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, one of the world’s premier hotel companies, currently owns and/or manages more than 80 hotels under the Shangri-La brand with a room inventory of over 34,000. Over four decades the group has established its brand hallmark of ‘hospitality from the heart.’
The group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in mainland China, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Qatar, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.
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