Mauritian delegation in Beijing to promote tourism

A delegation from Mauritius, one of Africa's prime holiday destinations, arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to promote the island nation as Chinese tourists show more interest in the country.

The delegation, including tourism officials, Air Mauritius China, representatives of Mauritian hotels and resort owners, talked with more than 40 Chinese travel agencies to learn more about the demands of Chinese visitors and in the hope of reaching agreements to expand tourism links between the countries.

"We have witnessed a growing number of Chinese visitors in recent years. In 2012, about 20,000 Chinese visitors came to Mauritius, an increase of 77 percent compared with 2011. And we are expecting to have 40,000 Chinese tourists by the end of this year," said Yang Zunshao, the Minister of Tourism and Leisure for Mauritius.

China only ranks No 9 on the list of the island's top 10 inbound tourism countries, and Chinese tourists account for only 1 percent of the nation's total visitors at the moment.

Visitors from European countries make up the majority of the island's tourists, but growth from that bloc is stagnating.

"China is a very important driver for the future development of Mauritius' travel industry," Yang said.

Betting on the promise of Chinese tourists, Air Mauritus China has opened three direct flights from Beijing and Shanghai to Mauritius since January.

"The direct flights have helped us attract more Chinese visitors, but whether we are going to add more direct flights is dependent on the demands of the marketplace," Yang said.