"We are targeting the high-end segment in golf tourism, destination weddings and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions)," said Vivek Anand, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority’s (MTPA) country manager for India.
With growing affluence and global connectivity, Anand expects strong growth in India's outbound travel sector.
"We'll see more Indians going aboard, looking for experience, quality products and curated holidays," Anand told BW Businessworld recently.
Mauritius recorded 61,157 Indian visitors in 2014, making India its sixth largest source of foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs). France, Britain, South Africa and China were the top sources in its one million FTAs last year.
Air Mauritius, which operates seven weekly flights on the India route, plans to have 10 flights from the next summer holiday season in order to cater to the rising traffic.
Mauritius boasts a coastline of 330 kilometres and is well-known as a romantic holiday destination. Now its tourism industry is keen to highlight more attractions for Indian families and groups.
Leading tourism players from Mauritius recently organised roadshows in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi to educate Indian tour operators on their country's attractions beyond beach holidays for couples.
Sam Mootien, marketing director of Fun Adventure Mauritius, said the scenic island offers many water sports to thrill seekers. Water-skiing, dingy-sailing, windsurfing and scuba-diving are some of the popular activities.
Luc Billard, whose company Blue Safari, operates submarine trips for people looking to catch a glimpse of the underwater marine life, said Indian tourists accounted for about one-third of his sales.
Natacha Mudhoo, head of marketing at Medine Leisure, noted that Mauritius tourism was looking to diversify its Indian arrivals to include more family groups, eco-tourists, and people keen to explore heritage and culture of the country, where some 68 per cent of the population is of Indian origin.
MTPA hopes to rely on the long-standing historical and cultural connections between Mauritius and India to achieve its next target of attracting 100,000 Indian tourists per year.
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