<B>By Pauline ETIENNE</B>

It is quite astonishing for a country that aspires to be one of the main world tourist destinations.

If Mauritius is to attract its expected two million tourists by 2015, there is an urgent need to see where we have failed. Yes, we have failed when

we see that we are only six ranks above countries considered as being ?in serious trouble? in a study conducted by the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations and the George Washington University on the standards of eco-tourism.

But this is not the most serious cause of concern. The most serious problem lies in the choice of criteria: environmental and ecological quality; social and cultural integrity; condition of historic buildings and archaeological sites; aesthetic appeal; quality of tourism management; and outlook for the future.

If Mauritius has some qualms about all these criteria, then there is cause for worry. How can we expect so many tourists to come and visit us if we can?t guarantee them a nice place with a strong identity? Our island is certainly a beautiful place with a pleasant environment. But how many such islands are there in the world taking care of their environment and the beauty of the place. It seems our biggest problem is the fact that we are content with what we have.

We have nice beaches, blue sea and luxury hotels providing top-quality service. And then? A time may come when this will no longer be enough for visitors. People are increasingly aware of the environment and want it protected. Will they continue to come to Mauritius to see the marine flora and fauna being destroyed and so many horrible buildings defacing the landscape?

I personally do not think so. But this study could act as an alarm bell to make us more aware of the problems looming ahead. This is the wish of the editor in chief of National Geographic Traveler, Keith Bellows, who commissioned the study. ?We hope that places at the bottom of our Destination Scorecard won?t be there for long. We?re interested in constructive criticism, not condemnation.?

Even if Mauritius is not to become an eco-tourist destination as such, the country should become more eco-friendly ? at least to make sure that tourists will keep being interested in coming to our island. We can?t continue to just focus on hotels ? as good as they may be.

We might have a chance with the branding policy on which the government is working at the moment. Mauritius needs to find its identity ? preferably a clean and safe one ? for its tourist industry to be sustainable.