Mauritius officially re-opened its borders today (October 3) as it lifted restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers who will be able to explore the paradise island’s beaches, mountains, waterfalls and lagoons after they land.

 

With 83 per cent of its adult population double-vaccinated against Covid-19, the island is seeing huge demand from international travellers.

 

There were joyous scenes at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam international airport as the first planeloads of tourists touched down. Deputy Prime Minister Steven Obeegadoo, who was there to greet the arrivals, said: “This is a great day for Mauritius, and we are delighted to be able to welcome tourists back. Our strategy of vaccinating our citizens first before re-opening has meant we can lift restrictions with confidence.

 

“Tourism is crucial to our economy, but so is the safety and security of our citizens, and it is thanks to our response to the coronavirus pandemic that we are able to re-open our borders as planned.

 

Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) Chairman Nilen Vencadasmy said: “Tourism accounts for more than 25% of our nation’s GDP and employs thousands of people directly and indirectly, so we are pleased to welcome visitors to our shores. It was vital that we implement strict health protocols to protect our citizens, and we remain vigilant in maintaining all necessary safeguards to protect visitors and the local population.”

 

Hotel and airline bookings for Mauritius have soared in recent weeks, and additional international flights have been added to keep up with demand. 

 

Many major airlines fly to Mauritius, including British Airways, Emirates, Air France, South African Airways, Air Austral, Air Seychelles, Turkish Airlines, Kenya Airways, Edelweiss, Austrian Airlines and Mauritius’s flagship carrier Air Mauritius.-TradeArabia News Service