It is bad news for Mauritius tourism as it is all set to experience low revenue during the ongoing year. Though, there a ominous signs of a rebound next year but for now Mauritius tourism will have to go through the turmoil. According to the Central Statistics Office, tourist arrivals will reduce by 9.7% this year. The plunge in tourist number will have a direct influence on the tourism receipts as  Bank of Mauritius revealed that the amount will come down to  36.0 billion rupees from  41.2 billion in 2008, which is a reduction of  12.6 percent. The occupancy rate of the rooms also decreased which recorded only 58 percent occupancy rate during the first half of 2009 compared to 59 percent occupancy rate in the previous year.

The tourism sector plays an important role in driving the global economy forward and it is even more significant in countries like Mauritius as tourism alone contributes a lot to the $9.8 billion economy. However, the global economic slowdown has hurt these tourism destinations to a large extent. To counter the slowdown, Mauritius has not left any stone unturned as it has started a rigorous campaign which includes big discounts.

The Finance Minister of Mauritius, Mr. Ramakrishna Sithanen, has announced a sum of $11.37 million to provide a much needed impetus to the tourism sector of Mauritius. He also mentioned that other measures include upgrading the international airport with $450 million dollars, building a new passenger terminal $17.39 which would be operational by next year.