TOURIST LICENSE
Mauritius Tourism Authority goes to war against illegal accommodation...
The Mauritius Tourism Authority (MTA) has decided to end its accommodation business
illegal tourism which, as we know, tarnishes the image of Mauritius as a destination.
For three days, MTA officers have been scouring the island, pinning down residences.
tourist companies that operate without a permit . The aim of this vast operation is to offer
for tourists, who stay on the island outside the hotel circuit, accommodation
which meet standards in terms of comfort, environment and safety.
The Mauritian tourism accommodation industry, according to experts, is suffering from the proliferation of residences offered on the "black market". The quality initiative of the "MTA" is to bring order to this area and encourage
owners to comply with standards.
"The brand image of the Mauritius destination depends greatly on the quality of the services offered and this also concerns accommodation. One of the recurring criticisms that I noted at the time when I was promoting the destination at the MTPA concerned accommodation that was below acceptable level. If we want to improve the general quality of the destination, we will necessarily have to upgrade the services, which implies compliance with norms and standards" underlines Robert Desvaux, the president of the Mauritius Tourism Authority whose hobby horse is quality.
The scope of action of the Tourism Police and the officers of the Mauritius Tourism Authority concerns all hotel services, not only small bungalows, beach residences, studios or rooms in private homes. The IRS and their luxury villas are also in the sights of the MTA.
"We are not targeting during this operation. All those, at all levels, who rent accommodation for tourism purposes, are concerned. The objective of the Mauritius Tourism Authority is to put into practice one of the priority objectives of the Ministry of Tourism which is to make Mauritius a reference destination in terms of quality and tropical tourist experience" underlines Robert Desvaux.
To comply with the law, owners of tourist accommodation can download the necessary form from the Mauritius Tourism Authority website.
"It is in the interest of all concerned to be in compliance with the law quickly. Those who have a license will be able, in a second phase, to display a logo on their accommodation or website, which will be a quality guarantee for those who wish to afford their accommodation. I therefore invite all those concerned to make themselves known by writing to the MTA. Our procedures have been considerably relaxed, it is up to the operators to make the most of it."
Beach cleaning underway
It should also be noted that the Mauritius Tourism Authority is also active in cleaning the beaches that have been soiled by the recent downpours. A precise work schedule, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment, is being followed to restore Mauritian beaches to their original appearance. "Protecting the environment and beautifying it is one of the major priorities of the Ministry of Tourism and we are doing everything possible every day to achieve this priority objective."
