Our tourism policy aims at improving accessibility to the island, our visibility overseas and more importantly, the attractiveness of Mauritius as tourism destination. Presently this Ministry is working towards improving the quality of our tourism products will enhance and help ensure a buoyant and sustainable growth in tourist arrivals.
One of the measures taken by this Ministry to improve our tourism products is the setting up of the Tourism Fund. The Fund is empowered to finance tourism related projects and tourist sites and attractions in regions with high touristic potential. In addition, it would help to deepen and to diversify our tourism product portfolio, through fostering the development of eco-tourism, cultural tourism and leisure development across the Island. The Fund would also be called upon to finance the development and maintenance of tourist sites.
Moreover, with a view to evenly spread the benefits of the tourism sector island wide, communities living in areas deprived of infrastructural facilities but with potential to attract visitors, could also be developed to their full potential. From the socio-economic perspective, this measure will bridge the gap existing among inhabitants of different regions thereby ensuring a fair and equitable treatment to each and every one to the extent possible.
The Tourism Fund is administered and managed by a committee set up under the section (6) of the Finance and Audit (Tourism Fund) Regulations 2003
The Committee comprises:
a Chairperson to be appointed by the Minister;
the Financial Secretary or his representative;
the Secretary for Home Affairs or his representative
the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for the subject of tourism or his representative;
the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for the subject of local government or his representative;
the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for the subject of environment or his representative;
the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for the subject of public infrastructure or his representative;
the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for the subject of fisheries or his representative;
the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for the subject of lands or his representative; and
4 representatives of the private sector with proven experience in the tourism sector, appointed by the Minister.
“The object of the Fund shall be to finance:
(a) the implementation of-
(i) infrastructural and associated works as the Committee may determine, in connection with tourism and tourism related development projects, sites and attractions in Mauritius;
(ii) infrastructural and associated works, and social amenities for the benefit of the inhabitants of the areas in which the tourism and tourism related projects are being developed, or in such areas of importance to the tourism industry as the Committee may determine; and
(b) the development and maintenance of tourism and tourism-related projects, including but not limited to eco-tourism and cultural tourism
