Gradual return of tourists
Mauritius welcomed 40,000 tourists in January 2022, thanks to the reopening of its borders to European travelers, which alone represented nearly 35,000 arrivals. France remains, from afar, the first issuing market (more than 11,000 arrivals), far ahead of the United Kingdom (5,334 visitors) and Germany (4,386 visitors). On this first month of the year, only 121 Reunion Islanders reported a compelling reason to go to their sister island, when travelers from mainland France could enter the country with few constraints if they were vaccinated.
Comparisons with January 2020 statistics, on the eve of the health crisis, show that Mauritian tourism still has a way to go. Mauritius then welcomed more than 121,000 visitors to Plaisance airport, including nearly 31,000 French people from mainland France and more than 18,000 people from Reunion Island. 15,000 Germans, 8,000 English, nearly 10,000 South Africans : those were the good times, especially since Asian tourism had not yet dried up (more than 4,700 arrivals from India, so many China).
Disputed maritime border with the Maldives
Next April 14, the international tribunal for the law of the sea will once again examine the dispute between Mauritius and the Maldives since 2010. The two countries cannot agree on the delimitation of their maritime border, the Maldives believing that Great Britain should be its interlocutor, the Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. But the court considers that Mauritius retains rights over the archipelago and Port-Louis relies on the existence of a reef emerged at low tide, Bleinhem Reef, which could bring it an important exclusive economic zone. The scientific study of this reef was the main objective of the trip organized in February by the Mauritian State and led by Jagdish Koonjul, permanent representative of the country to the United Nations.
Inflation : consumers demand a reduction in taxes
While the inflation rate has reached 7,4% in the country, The Consumers Association of Mauritius asks the State to intervene by reducing certain taxes, especially on fuels. Acim also contests the usefulness of a tax on sweet products, created in 2019 and which has since undergone a 100% increase and requires the opening of a reflection on the maritime service of the country, in a context of soaring freight. Mauritian inflation is also fueled by the depreciation of the rupee. Mid-February, the national currency crossed the symbolic threshold of 50 rupees for one euro and 60 rupees for one pound sterling.
MCB reaps profits
The Mauritius Commercial Bank group made a profit of 4,9 billion rupees in the second half of 2021, result up 29,5% compared to the same period of 2020. Its net banking income exceeded 12 billion rupees (+10,3%). Particularly solid, the group holds 75,5 billion rupees of equity.
