<B> MTTB-Mautourco has won the best tour-operator prize in the National Excellence Award for Tourism (NEAT). What has given our country such a solid reputation in the hospitality sector?</B>

Our success as a tourist destination is due mainly to what could be called the Mauritian approach: our determination, our capacity for hard work, our hospitality and a great curiosity about everything outside our island. Furthermore, standards are very high at all levels of the hospitality industry. I feel very proud every time I look at a foreign magazine and see a Mauritian hotel referred to as being one of the best in the world!

MTTB-Mautourco has been working since 1952 at various levels, but as far as this award is concerned, it involves all our employees from airport representatives to drivers and guides. We are aware of the great responsibility that lies with us but we also feel that we have a fine contribution to make in giving our island the reputation of one of the best holiday destinations in the world.

<B> At the NEAT ceremony, the minister of Tourism mentioned that a collective effort had to be made to overcome the present difficulties in this sector. What are the problems the tourism sector is facing and how can they be overcome?</B>

It is true that on a world level tourism is having a difficult time. Terrorism has affected sales directly, although Mauritius has not greatly suffered up to now. However, more and more customers make reservations at the last minute and it is becoming more difficult to manage airline and hotel reservations. There is a great deal of competition especially with similar holiday destinations such as the Maldives coming on the market. Holidays are also a question of fashion. Mauritius has been fashionable for 20 years. How much longer will this last? We also have to manage our expenses very carefully because today?s customers can compare offers through the Internet. They choose the best and cheapest prices. It is therefore extremely important to be very vigilant about our competitors. Constant promotion is needed to keep Mauritius in the forefront. Marketing budgets are getting higher and higher but must not be allowed to impinge on quality. The future of Mauritius depends to a great extent on the tourist industry and we must make sure that it has the support of the government and the nation at all levels. Today security counts perhaps even more than quality or originality. It is extremely important that we continue to provide a sense of security in the country as a whole.

<B> How do you see the future of tourism in Mauritius?</B>

The future of tourism in Mauritius is in our hands and I am convinced that, small as we are, we have all the ingredients for success. What Mauritius offers is a guarantee of quality and that is why our visitors are satisfied, aware as they are of our daily efforts to give of our best. We must have a clearly defined policy and we must be consistently perfectionist at all levels of the industry: from the airline to the hotel, from the restaurant to the craft boutique. If we keep up these conditions, there is no reason why Mauritius should not have a future crowned with success.

<B>Isabelle Descroizilles general manager of MTTB-Mautourco</B>