Mauritius: MRIC Showcases Outcomes of Research Projects to Revitalise Tourism Sector in Mauritius

17 July 2025
Government of Mauritius (Port Louis)

The Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) hosted a half-day seminar today in Ebène to showcase the outcomes of four innovative research projects funded under the Innovation Boost Grant Scheme (IBGS).

The four projects include Immersive Discovery: 3D Virtual Visit of a National Heritage Site; Development of a Digital App (MauNature) for Tourist Nature-Based Activities; Employment in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector in Mauritius is in Crisis: A Study to Close the Skills Gap; and Mauritian Treasures App.

These projects fall under the theme "Travel, Tourism and Entertainment Innovation," which focuses on boosting sustainable growth and strengthening one of Mauritius's most important economic pillars.

The "Travel, Tourism and Entertainment Innovation" theme was first introduced during the inaugural "Les Assises de la Recherche et de l'Innovation". This event brought together key stakeholders to develop a strategic roadmap aimed at revitalizing and transforming the tourism sector in the wake of the pandemic.

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Building on this initiative, the MRIC launched a Call for Proposals under the IBGS in March 2023 to fund short-term projects. From the 15 applications received, eight projects were selected for funding. Of these, four have now been completed and were presented to stakeholders today.

Speaking at the event the Executive Director of MRIC, Professor Theesan Bahorun, underlined the key role of the tourism, travel, and entertainment sector in the country's economic progress since independence. He recalled that in 2023, the tourism industry contributed approximately 9% to Mauritius's GDP, with 1.3 million tourist arrivals generating around Rs 86 billion in revenue. Looking ahead, he made reference Government's target of reaching two million tourist arrivals by 2030, with tourism revenues projected to rise to Rs 93.6 billion in 2024.

Professor Bahorun reflected on how the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the tourism industry and stressed the need for urgent recovery plans and collaborative efforts to revive it. Despite limited resources, he said, the MRIC has supported innovative research projects aimed at helping key economic pillars like tourism recover and grow. On that score a national roadmap for innovation in travel, tourism, and entertainment was created, focusing on sustainable practices, developing skills, improving marketing and visibility, using data analytics, and enhancing air connectivity.

Read the original article on Government of Mauritius.

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