Mauritius tourism receipts up 10.5 pct in 2010

Tourism revenues in Mauritius rose by 10.5 percent in 2010, boosted by a jump in visitor numbers, official data showed on Monday.

The Bank of Mauritius said revenues in what is a key industry for the Indian Ocean island reached 39.45 billion rupees ($1.34 billion).

"Tourist receipts for 2010 increased by 10.5 percent to 39.45 billion rupees compared to 35.69 billion rupees in 2009,' the bank said.

Visitor arrivals in Mauritius rose by 7.3 percent last year to 934,827 from 871,356 in 2009 as the economy emerges from the global crisis better than expected.

Finance Minister Pravind Jugnauth unveiled a 12 billion rupee stimulus package in August last year targeting the textile, sugar and tourism industries to help boost the fragile recovery.

Tourism typically generates about 10 percent of gross domestic product for Mauritius's 10 billion dollar economy. European tourists account for some two-thirds of arrivals. (Reporting by Jean Paul Arouff; editing by Stephen Nisbet)