Dr. Vanessa Gaitree Bheekhoo Gowreessunkar, an expert in tourism on Mauritius, strongly defended the need for the island to review the concept of the “Vanilla Islands”.
She published an in-depth study alongside Maximiliano Korstanje (Argentinian) and Shem Wambugu Maingi (Kenyan), which stated that Mauritius is part of the Vanilla Islands group in the Indian Ocean alongside Seychelles, Reunion, Madagascar , Comoros and Mayotte Islands.
The driving force behind the original founding of the Vanilla Islands came from former Seychelles Tourism Minister Alain St. Ange
When St. Ange left Vanilla Island, the concept started to work with a low-key approach and slow speed. Vanessa Gaitree Bheekhoo Gowreessunkar, said Mauritius offers more than beaches and a few cultural attractions.
In her book ‘Tourism in Crisis’, she said Mauritius needed to push the concept of good governance forward, saying that too often tourism businesses were subject to a cartel of personalities.
Dr Vanessa Gaitree Bheekhoo Gowreessunkar said Mauritius could also seek UNWTO assistance, as several other countries have done.
The global tourism crisis continues according to Dr Gowreessunkar. The world is experiencing a change in the tourism industry. The CEO of Vanilla Islands is Pascal Viroleau, based in Reunion. According to the commitment of St. Ange, even when it comes to the rotating presidency of the organization, it has become difficult. It needs a strong boost.
