In the outskirts of Mumbai, India, in the third week of January, Mansy, a school rector and Pariksheet, a chartered accountant said, ?I do? in front of thousands of family members and friends.

Once the excitement of the wedding subsided, it was time to plan for one of the nicest perks of getting married ? the honeymoon. Now the heated discussions had already started way before the wedding ceremony. But though there was one favourite destination ? Mauritius - relatives who had already travelled to what is increasingly being known in India as the honeymoon paradise, had expressed reservations about whether our island would be the ideal place for vegetarian honeymooners, the more so since the trip would be the couple?s first overseas one. Mansy, whose uncle is a regular visitor, says she had been warned that food might be a problem.

?Food is very much part of the holidays. The island is beautiful, there are no two ways about it but eating has become a stress.?

?I was told to pack ready-made curries just in case we couldn?t get decent food?, she tells us. The decision was finally made after someone said ? with uncanny logic ? that, seeing that Mauritius was extensively promoting itself as the ideal destination for Indians looking to travel, the offer must have improved.

And so, the expensive decision was made. A week after their arrival in Mauritius, however, Mansy and Pariksheet are very, very annoyed. ?Food is very much a part of holidays. The island is beautiful, there are no two ways about it but eating has become a stress?, says an unhappy Mansy. It?s not that their hotel ? a three-star affair in the North ? does not provide vegetarian meals, it?s just that ?it?s always some unsavoury dish made of beans that we have to eat because there is no alternative. It?s either the one and only vegetarian dish or you go without food?, says the newly-wed.

So, the couple decides to eat out. Same problem. ?Most restaurants have only one vegetarian dish on their menu and it?s almost always something akin to Indian food. Now, when somebody doesn?t eat meat, it doesn?t mean they only eat Indian food?, remarks ? rightly so ? Mansy.

The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) has intensified promotional campaigns in India; the effort has already borne some results. There was an increase of 26% last year as opposed to 2005 where 30,000 Indians visited the island. 4,000 more are expected to arrive this year, bringing the expected figure to 41,500. Hopes are also high regarding an eventual decision of either Air India or Jet Airways to start operating flights to Mauritius, as a result of the new air access policy.

Attracting Indian tourists is one thing, adapting our services to their needs is another, and it seems that we are falling short on this one. A spokesperson for the MTPA agrees that, though there has been an improvement in terms of adapting the offer to the new niche market, ?there?s still more to be done.? He thinks the positive result of the campaign is proof enough that Indians are satisfied and asking for more.

This is, however, an optimistic ? and not necessarily valid ? way of looking at things. Mansy and her husband decided to risk it and come to Mauritius thinking things had improved. The hesitations speak of an image of Mauritius among Indians that is not so positive. The honeymooners who go back to India today will tell people of their experience and are bound to influence other vegetarian travellers-to-be.

A spokesperson from a group of hotels tells us that the hotels of his group cater adequately for veggies. ?Vegetarians the world over are on the increase mainly for health reasons and we have to adapt to the demands of our clientele. We do have an extensive vegetarian menu and our chefs are also willing to go out of their way to prepare anything else that?s not on the menu but that catches the client?s fancy.? He is probably right. The problem probably lies in the fact that many Indian tourists go to hotels of a lesser standard and price.

The issue here, however, is not what individual groups of hotels offer; the issue is that the country as a whole is not ready for the increase in veggie tourists ? be they Indians or Europeans ? and do not cater for them. If they do, the service still has a lot to be desired. Vegetarians are generally treated as a pain in the neck and no effort is made to make their eating experience an unforgettable one.

?Great place, horrible food?, is what Mansy and Pariksheet are bound to tell their friends.

In utter contradiction to the slogans of the promotional campaigns in India.