Political Implications and Its Role in the Tourism and Transport Sector in Mauritius - Essay Example

The research recommends that the government formulate a long-term strategic policy of sustainable development, diversify into eco-tourism, event tourism, medical tourism or business tourism, and develop more programs to integrate the local community into sharing the benefits of the tourism industry.Mauritius, located 1000 km off the coast of Madagascar is a popular holiday destination for beach-resort tourists. After the EPZ manufacturing and agriculture, tourism is the key contributor to the economic growth as well as the development of Mauritius (Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, 2010).

Over the past two decades, the number of tourists has increased at a rate of 9% and tourism receipts have increased by over 21%. In 2000, gross tourism receipts were 14.2 billion rupees (508.3 million US $) and contributed to about 11 % of the GDP of Mauritius (Overview of the tourism sector in Mauritius, 2010). In 2007, tourist arrivals in reached around 907,000 and tourism receipts are about $1,297 million. This shows how tourism has progressed as a very important component of the economy in Mauritius.

The case of Mauritius shows that tourism is considered a key contributor to the economic development of developing nations. It is a given fact that for the tourism industry to flourish in any particular nation, it is necessary that political environment supports and encourages tourism (de Silva, 2000). Over the past few years, tourism has become an extremely competitive industry. In wake of this competition, the policymakers have realized the importance of a health policy and a good political environment (Saleem, 1996).

Tourists are people who can be easily influenced by any political or social even happening in a nation. Therefore, it becomes even more critical to ensure that the political and the governmental environment support tourist culture. According to Martin & Witt (1988), the infrastructure base of a country may be a determinant of the attractiveness of a tourism destination.