Mauritius targets one million tourists by 2022 and 12,000 social housing units

Port Louis, Mauritius (CU)_ The government’s goal for the tourism industry is to receive at least one million tourists by the end of 2022 and around 1.3 million by June 2023. Additionally, the major initiative under the social plan includes providing suitable housing for the inhabitants, and the building of 12,000 social housing units will commence in the near future.

Mr. Louis Steven Obeegadoo, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, and Minister of Tourism, issued the aforementioned statement in Port Louis, after a policy dialogue meeting with Dr. Renganaden Padayachy, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning, and Development. The purpose of the conference was to discuss economic and social suggestions in light of the upcoming 2022-2023 budget.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry may be utilized to improve the economy. According to him, the number of tourists is crucial in evaluating the government’s ability to accelerate further growth in the country and safeguard people at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

In addition, discussions were held on the strategy and aid to be offered via budgetary measures in order to develop the tourism industry. He also stated that the Ministry of Tourism and the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority are collaborating closely to boost the number of tourists visiting the country by promoting Mauritius as an appealing tourist destination. The Deputy Prime Minister also emphasized that the policy discussion with the Minister of Finance was effective in advocating for quicker efforts in implementing social housing projects.

Concerning the government’s efforts on the social plan, Deputy Prime Minister Obeegadoo stated that the COVID-19 crisis delayed the building of the 12,000 social housing units planned in previous budgets. In this regard, he noted that construction work will commence shortly and that 2023 will be a pivotal year for the National Social Living Development Ltd and National Housing Development Co Ltd projects.