The first few days show that tourists prefer the quiet of hotel establishments. This is the feeling described by Vania, a worker in a hotel in the West. “It's a relief for both us and the tourists. You can feel a real joy from them to be there, but also a little fear. The pandemic has changed a lot of people's minds. The doubts will dissipate as the days go by, ”she says.
She adds that some prefer to stay within the hotel grounds while others plan to enjoy the island in the days to come. “Everyone was a bit suspicious for the first few days. Welcoming tourists to the hotel after so long is a real pleasure, but there is a dose of apprehension. But what I can say is that tourists are happy to be able to enjoy the beach again. You can feel a sense of freedom, of a return to almost normalcy. "
In the Paradis and Dinarobin Beachcomber hotels, this complete reopening is taking place on a high note. “So far everything is going well. Customers are delighted to be there after nearly 19 months of closure. We have a good mix of clientele between regulars and new tourists. We even have a few tourists who came on their honeymoon. For the moment, tourists are more relaxed with a minimum of activities ", explains Manuella Osman, PA to Area Manager of the two hotels.
What about expats?
Expats who have waited several months before being able to come to Mauritius without having to pay the quarantine are happy to finally be able to do so. Those interviewed by Expat.com said they were very satisfied with their experience at the airport and finally being able to enjoy the island despite the health restrictions.
"On arrival, the procedures were done in no less than 25 minutes at the airport," said Gérard, who comes to take up a job in Mauritius.
For another English family returning from vacation, this was a real relief. “No more than 10 minutes at the immigration counter, five minutes at the sanitary counter and finally, the PCR stop. The Mauritian nurses were the nicest of all and the PCR test went very well ”.
On our beaches
All eyes were on the island's beaches this weekend. Especially since health protocols have been relaxed with the total reopening of borders. The feeling is mixed at the level of the operators, in particular the beach merchants. Indeed, they expected more crowds. They hope that tourists will quickly regain a taste for the activities that the country has to offer.
In the north, however, some beaches have been taken over. The actors of the sector did not hide their joy to find tourists. In fact, we have heard that tourists have also resumed nautical activities in the north and east of the island. In other places, however, the crowd was rather shy, and it was mainly Mauritians who went to the beach taking advantage of the relaxed measures to share a meal with family or friends.
In terms of diving centers, we are showing satisfaction, there are more bookings for the months of November and especially for the month of December. Moreover, both in terms of activities and hotels, it is towards the end of the year that the sector should really open up again. Remember that the government's goal is to reach the 325,000 tourist mark by the end of 2020.
After a very long wait, we can say that this total reopening of borders brings relief to this sector suffocated by the pandemic. While waiting for a real revival in the months to come...
