Hotels are Required to Submit Safety Plan By the End of June

This was in response to a question from the member MMM Josique Radegund-Haines about tourists’ robbery at Bel Ombre. However, the Head of Government said that "Mauritius remains a safe country for tourists."

He also announced that the government is looking at the possibility of amending the law so that the statements of tourists who have already left the country to be available and used in court.

"The Ministry of Tourism has already informed all hotels that have not submitted their safety plan to prepare a security plan. Those who do not submit the plan by the end of June 2013 will not see their renewed "license, said Navin Ramgoolam.

It was as a result of the arrest of the opposition leader, Alan Ganoo, who argued that many of the suspects in tourists’ theft are people working with them and he did not think the focus should be on education and employee awareness. The original question was for the MP Radegund-Haines who wanted to know the number of cases of theft from tourists in hotels and other sites Bel Ombre in the last three years and the measures taken to improve the safety of tourists .

The prime minister initially said that Mauritius remains a safe place in terms of safety for tourists. But "we are not fully immunized against cases of robbery on tourists even though relatively few." Moreover, he added, tourists often do not take basic precautions. "Sometimes they leave their belongings on the beach. Often, the doors remain open and money on the table. These are basic precautions that everyone should take. "

The Head of Government noted that in 2011, there were 16 cases of theft from hotel sites in the region and two other cases on sites other than hotels in Bel Ombre. In 2012, these two respective places, the number of cases were 22 and 0. And from January to May 23, 2013, 19 and 2. As additional measures to enhance the safety of tourists, the Prime Minister told the member Radegund that "security in a mansion within its own responsibility."

The Prime Minister add that since May 2012, several security measures in hotels are imposed by the Ministry of Tourism. Among there monitoring by a trained security personnel on a 24/7 basis, surveillance cameras, the number of security personnel and safety standards to be established by a security consultant, a digital safe in every room, a certificate of good conduct for employees and a booklet in each room, outlining the basic precautions to be taken by tourists.