For the Mauritian tourism industry this year is not considered as favorable due to the economic crisis that affects the developed countries from where the major tourists are coming. Another adversity which the industry is facing is the fierce competitions among the tour operators. They all have to minimize their profits just for the sake to keep the operation of their business instead of closing their doors.

This year, the Bank of Mauritius provides Rs 40 billion for tourism revenue, representing an increase of nearly Rs 5 billion over the previous year. However, the crisis of the euro could project these revenues downward. According to the MTPA, the second quarter saw 189,180 tourists landing in Mauritius, a figure higher than in 2009. The arrival of tourists during the month of June is according to the seasonal trend of each year and that is still not the peak season.

A tour operator has reported a load factor not exceeding 50% in August. This is partly due to the fact that many of the tourists have chosen low cost accommodation such as bungalows, guesthouses, villas and small cottage instead of high class and expensive hotels.

In the first quarter of 2010, the rate of booking of hotel rooms was 67%, against 63% in first quarter 2009 and 79% in the first quarter of 2008. After a drop of 16% in 2009, the rate of hotels booking rose again in 2010. The Bank of Mauritius tourism receipts estimated Rs 3012 million in May 2010 compared to Rs 2422 million in May 2009, representing an increase of 24%.

249 971 tourists visited Mauritius in the first quarter of 2010, compared to 232,908 in 2009, generating Rs 2.4 million overnight stays and Rs 11 billion in tourism spending. Employment in the tourism sector has increased steadily from 2005 to 2008, from 25,377 to 28,753. In 2009, employment in tourism has dropped to 26,922 because of the economic crisis. The hotel facilities include 105 local hotels listed in March, representing a capacity of 11,564 rooms and 23,547 beds. 45% of the park consists of large hotels with a total of 47 establishments. Of the 105 hotels, five were not operational in March for renovation

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Touessrock, Best Beach Hotel in the world

The Touessrock, hotel establishment of the Sun Resorts Group has just been crowned "Best Beach Hotel of the world" by the Ultra Travel readers, the top of range supplement of Travel Daily Telegraph. This reward was attributed on the 10th of May 2010 to this Mauritian Hotel, at the time of a ceremony to the Dorchester Hotel, to London.

The Touessrock Hotel of Sun Resorts would be "the Best hotel of beach of the world" according to the readers of Ultra Travel, luxurious supplement Trips of Daily Telegraph. In the classification of this publication, Touessrock, member of The Leading Hotels of the World, went out first in this category and outclasses hotels such as Sandy Lane in Barbados, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel of Dubai, Banyan Tree in Seychelles and Royal Palm in Mauritius.

It was the readers of Ultra travel that named The Touessrock "Best Beach Hotel of the world", a very coveted reward. They have first been questioned on their better experiences of trip in the luxury segment. Next, they voted for their destinations, hotels and favorite airline companies. Ultratravel Magazine has a readership of more than a million subscribers and is organizing his awards four years now. The award was given to The Touessrock on the 10th of May 2010, during a ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel in London.

For the Mauritian Hotel, it is pride to receive such a distinction. "We are absolutely delighted to receive this prestigious award. We are very grateful to our customers for loyalty to the Touessrock. We hope they will continue to visit us in the coming years", said Arnaud Martin, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of Sun Resorts. "This award is a recognition for all staff and management team of Touessrock, and for our sales teams around the world who have managed to grow to the impeccable standards Touessrock one of the best hotels in the world", he added. Whereas Brown Pascal, the manager of the Touessrock, maintains that it is a huge honour to have been elected by the readers of Ultratravel. He continues his statement saying, "In Touessrock, our dearest vow is to give an exclusive experience always in a gentle and luxurious atmosphere. This art of living is unquestionably what makes an unique place of this heavenly place in the world". As a reminder, Touessrock was recently awarded by The Leading Hotels of the World, who gave him the "Commitment to Quality Award" in the Middle East and Africa region.

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Retiring On Mauritius Island

In Mauritius, one of the primary advantages is that it is easy to obtain a permanent resident visa. The latter is based on the amount of your annual investment to develop the country, constituting one of the economic resources that the Mauritian authorities want to attract. In addition to a single tax that preserves your capital, real estate is less expensive compared to other countries with similar economic potential. So you can both live in one of the most beautiful island in the world while growing your capital with your pension.

There are two types of resident status in Mauritius. The first is suitable for retirees who wish to settle here, however the authorities require a transfer of at least 40,000 U.S. dollars or 32,000 Euros each year to a bank or financial institution in Mauritius. The second category is suitable for investors who may be contractors, employees or independent. They get a work visa based on an amount of income defined by the authorities. The best solution is for retirees to reside on the island for a minimum period of three years, after which they can obtain a permanent resident visa. However, the authorities face major condition for the transfer of an amount of 40,000 dollars for each of these three years, to be eligible for permanent residence.

The tax advantages of Mauritius

The Mauritian authorities plan to essentially diversify income sources that affect the economic development of the island. Thus, they introduced a single tax of 15% for the temporary or permanent residents. Therefore, you pay no tax on capital, or the right of succession in applied in European countries. In addition, just six months of living on the island to benefit from this tax. This is also the most used by retirees. If you can not wait three years to get all these advantages, it is also possible to buy a property worth at least 383,000 euros. This amount gives you access to the IRS (Integrated Resort Scheme) and automatically obtain permanent resident status. However, since this solution is for wealthy people in particular, the system RES (Real State Scheme) may also appeal to all those who have a more limited budget. There is no minimum value for any property investment, but that may not sufficient to help you getting the permanent resident status. However, it is a good solution to compare prices of rental homes that are more expensive.

How to take the steps necessary to live his retirement in Mauritius?

You can get your visa upon arrival at the airport because it is issued by the Board of Investment, which controls your income and check the amount of your annual transfers. With your temporary resident status you get immediate tax benefits. Most retirees visits the island twice; the first to visit and explore real estate opportunities and the second to settle there permanently. However, another solution is to hire the services of an intermediary who will be responsible for all administrative tasks for you. But it may not be secure because no one knows if dishonest people could cheat your money without giving anything in return. You can also contact a rental housing that will facilitate your approach and is generally trustworthy. These solutions are suitable for people who still work or do not have time to make the round trip required to the investigation of administrative records. On the other hand, if you are already retired, the best thing to do is to let all these steps be handed over at the airport to avoid unpleasant surprises. Thus, thanks to the ingenious plan available in Mauritius, it is now possible to retire on an island known as an earth paradise; all these with minimal investment.

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Decongestion Road

The Road Decongestion Program, initiated by the Road Development Authority (RDA), in consultation with the government, has already identified the roads, which will be part of Toll Road Network with the introduction of tolls for vehicle access into the capital. The officially available information confirms that the initial introduction of the toll will affect sections of the National Highway and the North, the Harbour Bridge, the Port Louis Ring Road and Highway Terre-Rouge/Verdun/Ebene. The standard of decision in favor of the imposition of tolls has already been endorsed by the government so that the quantum of pay will depend on factors that are known with the choice of a private operator. The program of road decongestion, which includes plans to build the Harbour Bridge, Ring Road Phase II, a new bridge over the Grand River North West to connect to the National Highway between Port Louis and Beau-Bassin, or up to Sorezes Belle Etoile, respectively, will require investments of around Rs 18.1 billion. During deliberations last Friday, the Cabinet had reviewed the situation in relation to various aspects of the Road Decongestion Program.

With confirmation from 1 June that the government favors the imposition of a toll for access to Port Louis in order to reduce asphyxia on arterial roads leading to and through the capital, the emphasis is put on the procedures for selecting the private operator will be selected to manage the Toll Roads with the payment of Concession Fees to the Road Development Authority.

Currently, the Central Procurement Board shall evaluate quotations submitted as part of a Prequalification Exercise. Indeed, the deadline for submission of tenders has expired since May 19 last year following a tender launched on the international market since March 19 last. The objective of this exercise at the Central Procurement Board is to proceed to select a private developer to the enforcement of various aspects of Road Decongestion Program

With this first evaluation, the Central Procurement Board will establish a shortlist of three bidders for presentations of their listings in terms of design, construction and operation. It is at this stage that pre-qualified firms are to develop their proposals for the management of Toll Roads as well as the mode of funding identified for Road Decongestion Program.

To reach this stage, the government had sought the expertise of consultants from PIC Solutions Project of South Africa for assessment of the project under the Public Private Partnership (PPP). A Public Private Partnership Committee comprising the Director of Procurement Policy Board, as chairman, and representatives of the Ministries of Finance, Public Infrastructure and the Attorney General's Office has been established for monitoring all aspects of projects under public-private partnership.

Other persons affected by the problem of traffic congestion on the trunk road Curepipe / Port-Louis-Earth Red, that the introduction of the toll is only part of the equation. The other for, as important as the first named, remains a public transport system worthy of the name, and likely to attract passengers who would otherwise have chosen private transport.

In the circumstances, the brutal fact remains that the transit network is experiencing a marked deterioration with breakdowns of buses more frequently on the roads. In addition to this, the financial prospects of the National Transport Corporation, one of the largest operators in this sector, cast doubt on the ability to invest in buses to accommodate this new customer, abandoning the comfort of their cars for public transportation common with the introduction of toll

Agreement between the State and the Sentinelle to end the boycott of journalists

Representatives of the State and those of La Sentinelle Ltd. reached an agreement to end the ban on journalists from the media group to attend ceremonies and press conferences held by the government. The company had sought an injunction to that effect in the Supreme Court.

Reporters from The Sentinel Ltd. will now have access to press conferences and official functions organized by departments. The State is committed to the Supreme Court, in this June 14, not to deny access to journalists from The Sentinel Ltd., to press conferences and official functions organized by the government.

To honor this commitment, an agreement was signed between the representative of the State and those of the newspaper group, in the presence of the judge Bushan Domah. It states that, the Attorney General has declared that the Government will ensure that members of the media of the complainant, The Sentinel, will be included in the list of newspapers and radio invited to ceremonies and official press conferences.

La Sentinelle Ltd had, on May 31 last, asked the Supreme Court with an injunction to prohibit the government to refuse access to journalists of the newspaper group at official and ministerial press conferences. Raj Meetarbhan and Darlmah Naeck, respectively chief editor of the Sunday Express and 5-Plus had sworn affidavits to that effect.

This request followed the ban on journalists from the Sunday Express, 5-Plus and Radio One to attend a press conference of the Minister of Finance, Pravind Jugnauth, Thursday, May 27. He had met the press at the Government House to discuss a subject of public interest. He commented on the situation in the Employees Investment Trust, an investment fund which thousands of employees are shareholders. Elvissen Adaken, a journalist from Radio One, had also been pushed back from Government House by police and was informed that he was to receive the same treatment as his colleagues in The Sentinel Group. Thus, Jean-Luc Emile, the editor of Radio One was also sworn affidavits in the same direction as Raj Meetarbhan and Darlmah Naeck.

After an initial hearing, the case was adjourned until June 7 Subsequently, the Attorney General was named as a defendant. After discussions, both sides reached an agreement that was formalized this Monday, June 14 Thus, journalists from The Sentinel will no longer be denied access to ceremonies and official press conferences.

"This is a victory for democracy and for freedom of the press. It is also a victory of reason which has prevailed at the state," commented, Michel Ahnee, the lawyer of the group La Sentinelle.

Street Accident: A Woman Instantly Killed

All inhabitants of the village of Union Park are traumatized. A double tragedy struck the family Kissoondoyal yesterday. Yet there was no indication that Kissoondoyal Sunita, aged 33, and her step-sister, Priscilla Kissoondoyal, 30, would be mowed down by a truck while going to the fair at Rose-Belle.

The two women were walking quietly on the sidewalk at the time of the accident when Sunita Kissoondoyal was instantly killed. The cremation took place on Wednesday 23rd of June 2010 at 15 hrs. Her step sister, grievously wounded, was rushed to Victoria Hospital in Candos. Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, she is currently in a coma.

The family members of Kissoondoyam are shared between dismay and indignation. In their pain, they are unable to stop thinking that Sunita and Priscilla are both young mothers. Indeed, Sunita, who died on the spot, was married to Satyam Kissoondoyal, mason by profession. To this union were born Abhisek aged 9, Vivek aged 8 years, and Nidhi aged 4 years.

Priscilla is married to Vijay, the brother of Satyam. She is mother of two children, Yanish, aged 5 years and Tania, 4 years. Vijay works as a technician at the Mauritius Telecom.

It was around 11:00 on Tuesday morning that the accident occurred. According to information obtained by relatives, the two step sisters were hit by a truck belonging to the company Divine Gift of Carreau Laliane. The driver reportedly lost control of his vehicle after being struck in the rear by another truck fully loaded with soft drinks belonging to Paille Industrial Company. Both vehicles came from Nouvelle France and headed towards Rose-Belle.

Once alerted, police in Rose-Belle immediately visited the spot of the accident. Meanwhile, the two injured were evacuated to Victoria hospital in Candos. Some police officers from the Traffic Branch and those of the Divisional Support Unit of the Emergency Response Service were met also there.

The two drivers involved were subjected to a breath test which proved negative. Police in Belle Rose, meanwhile, opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of this tragic accident. Sanjay Kissoondoyal, the fourth brother of Kissoondoyal, could barely speak after the accident. Relatives are extremely afflicted. On the one hand, they do not relieve for the death of Sunita. On the other hand, they are racked with anxiety.

Indeed, the health of Priscilla Kissoondoyal did not inspire confidence yesterday. The funeral of Sunita Kissoondoyal was delayed until Wednesday 23RD of June as the family was awaiting the arrival of Dev Kissoondoyal the brother in law of the deceased who was abroad. The latter was an unsuccessful candidate in the last legislative election of 12th May 2010, belonging to the political party of Mouvement Militant Mauricien......

Viveka Babajee The Mauritian Top Model Found Dead In Her Apartment.

Viveka Babajee, the former Miss Mauritius who became a top model and actress in Bollywood has been found dead at Mumbai. She committed suicide.

The career of the Mauritian Viveka Babajee that was in fashion and film in India was found dead in her apartment at the Continental Building at Bandra in Mumbai suburban chic, Friday, June 25. The Indian press reports that the Top Model, 37 years old would have committed suicide.

Some Indian policemen say that it was around 8:30 p.m. on Friday the 25th of June, the neighbors of Top Model informed the police that there was a strong smell of gas coming from the apartment of Viveka Babajee. They had knocked on the door but nobody answered. Firefighters were summoned. They broke down the door. And that was where Viveka Babajee has been found hanging from a ceiling fan, while a cylinder of gas was opened.

The forces of Mumbai police under the leadership of the Commissioner Amitabh Gupta said that they have collected some personal notes left by the deceased in her apartment and they were going to review the notes. An Indian newspaper said that the Top Model was in a depression. The death of Viveka Babajee has attracted much comment in the worlds of fashion. Recently several models suffering from depressions have made suicide attempts.

Viveka Babajee was crowned Miss Mauritius in 1993. She had also participated at the Miss Universe in 1994. It was the Indian Sushmita Sen the Miss India who won that competition at that time.

Subsequently the Mauritian began a career in fashion. She became an icon of catwalks in India. The success of Viveka Babajee in modeling has encouraged her in advertising for Coca-Cola, Blue Jeans Live In and for the condoms of Kama Sutra.

Viveka Babajee also had success in Bollywood. She has played in the successful realization of the film Yeh Kaisi Mohabbat together with the actors Sharad Kapoor and Deepak Tijori.