Mauritius attending BIT 2017 to meet Italian Mauritian Industry Partners
Milan, April 4th 2017 – Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) renews its commitment in the promotion of the destination in the Italian market with its participation at BIT 2017 at Fieramilanocity in Milan from April 2nd to 4th 2017. Italy has always been a key market for the destination, ranking 9th globally and 5th in Europe, and the fair is an important occasion for MTPA to meet operators and travel agents, as well as strengthen long lasting relationships and collaborations.
BIT, the International Travel Exhibition, for more than 30 years, has brought together decision makers, industry experts and carefully selected targeted buyers from all over the world, with more than 1.500 Hosted Buyers from Italy and abroad, more than 2.000 participating companies and more than 60.000 professional visitors . The renewed 2017 edition will be one of the most innovative shows that BIT has ever organized, introducing important novelties, as the new location of the event at Fieramilanocity, the innovative exhibition centre in the city, and MiCo, one of the largest congress centers in Europe and in the world. Along with the four main sectors - Leisure, Luxury, MICE and Destination Sport – there are to be three visitor itineraries dedicated to themed areas: A Bit of Taste (food and wine), Be Tech (digital) and I love wedding (dedicated to honeymoons).
Mrs. Roselyne Hauchler, Deask Officer for Italy is attending BIT together with Lisa Bigoni and Alice Pinna of AIGO, Representative of MTPA in Italy, and will meet travel agents, tour operator, travel and trade journalists at Mauritius stand Padiglione MiCo - Ala Sud - Livello 0 - stand B17/C20, together with Mauritian tourism industry partners: Air Mauritius, Beachcomber Resorts and Hotels, LUX* Resorts and Hotels, Sun Resorts e Marriott International.
The first day of the fair, on Sunday, April 2nd at 4pm, visitors could experience the beauties of the destination during the convention "Mauritius: the island of harmony", held by MTPA Italy team in cooperation with the partner Air Mauritius.
Mrs. Hauchler commented: "Attending BIT 2017, MTPA wants to continue the dialogue with the Italian tour operators, presenting Mauritius as a touristic product and increasing the knowledge of the island, as well as share the latest news and updates about the destination. In 2016 Mauritius totaled 1,275,227 international arrivals, recording for the second consecutive year a double-digit growth: +10.8% compared to 2015. Europe remains the largest basin with a share of 55%, followed by Africa (25%) and Asia (17%). Europe saw an increase in arrivals in 2016 of 16.3%. Italy has always been a key market for the destination occupying the 9th place worldwide and 5th in Europe after which France, UK and Germany and Switzerland.
"Following the success registered in 2016, with a + 7.4% of Italians arrivals, the beginning of 2017 data reconfirm the growth, registering +8.7% in January and February compared to the same period in 2016 , for a total of 6,771 visitors from Italy”, continued Mrs. Hauchler.
In occasion of BIT 2017, also the tourism industry partners will present its news for the destination: the airline Air Mauritius, in its 50th year of operation, has recently announced its partnership with KLM, offering connections via Amsterdam and expanding the connections to the island. Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, following the rebranding and the presentation of the new concept "The Art of Beautiful" last year, introduced in the spa of its resorts “The Art of Wellness”, which offers a holistic approach to wellness, customizing each treatment program improving rituals with local natural products. LUX* Resorts and Hotels announced that they will organize throughout the year workshops led by experts to propose even more unique experiences: from yoga to meditation and much more. Sun Resorts has announced the restructuring of its iconic property La Pirogue Resort & Spa, setting a partial closure of the resort from June 10 until August 15, 2017, when the hotel will reopen to welcome guests for a new and unforgettable experience. Marriott International has welcomed visitors at Mauritius stand to provide materials and information about hotels managed on the island: Le Méridien Ile Maurice, The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa Mauritius and The St. Regis Mauritius Resort.
