(Ecofin Agency) - Mauritius’ tourism revenues should soar 3.8% to 58 billion rupees or $1.64 billion this year, according to the nation’s statistics office. This forecast is lower than that projected by a report published earlier in the year (59 billion rupees).

Tourist arrivals are expected to increase by 6.8% from 1.28 million last year to 1.34 million in 2017.

The statistics office also projects a significant boost in the rate of room occupancy by tourists, thus maintaining last two years' trend. Indeed, in 2016, it was 73% compared to 70% in 2015.

Tourism is one of the main sources of foreign exchange of Mauritius. The Island is truly quite popular for its luxurious spas and beautiful seaside hotels. In 2016, the sector contributed to about 8% of the GDP. With agriculture and financial services, tourism is the third pillar of the economy.

Olivier de Souza