Air India to begin operations to Mauritius this year?

Port Louis: Mauritius is aiming for 10 percent annual growth of its tourism industry by boosting marketing and opening up its skies to attract more airlines, its tourism minister said on Wednesday.
Tourism Minister Xavier Luc Duval said the government had doubled the tourism promotion budget to $10-million and had changed its air access policy to help bring in more tourism revenue and offset losses in other traditional sectors.Duval said that allowing more airlines would increase passenger capacity during peak periods and create healthy competition for the national carrier, Air Mauritius .
South Africa's Comair, France's Corsair and an Indian airline, possibly Air India, are expected to begin operations later this year.Duval said Mauritius, whose main markets are France and Britain, also wanted to tap emerging markets and sees strong potential for visitors from Russia, Australia and India.
With India's booming aviation sector and rising income levels, five million Indian tourists travel overseas every year. Duval said Mauritius hoped to attract a large portion of them.
23/03/06 Nita Bhalla/Independent Online, South Africa

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