Mauritius is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean known for its beautiful beaches and reefs. It is found on the eastern coast of Madagascar. Visitors tend to go to the island to see its beautiful lagoons, beaches, and its lush forests.
The country is also a favorite location by modern remote workers. Digital nomads took advantage of the long-stay visa program offered by Mauritius last year. Remote workers can stay on the island for up to a year. Apart from digital nomads, retirees also took advantage of the beautiful weather and sandy beaches that the country offered. This time around, Mauritius is looking to offer free COVID19 vaccinations to their long-stay visa holders.
Like many beach destinations, Mauritius is one of those countries that rely mostly on tourism. Tourism contributes 18.8% to the country’s GDP pre-pandemic. The tourism sector is also responsible for providing 19.1% of the island’s total employment. From January to April 2020, tourism arrivals dropped by 33.9% compared to 2019’s numbers. Unemployment also increased last year by 150%.
Before the pandemic, Mauritius had a positive outlook with its tourism sector expecting 1.6 million tourists by 2020. Most of Mauritius’ tourists come from Europe. They account for 60% of the total number of tourists visiting the country. These are mainly French, British, and German tourists.
It was announced that Mauritius is going to provide free vaccination to Premium Visa holders. Visa holders aged 18 and above can get their free Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine.
Who gets to qualify for the visa? To qualify for the Premium Visa, the visitor will need to meet immigration requirements and have the ability to generate income outside the country. The visitor will also need to have travel and health insurance, a negative COVID10 PCR test result, and finish the 14-day quarantine at an authorized facility.
The island-nation only reported fewer than 700 cases and just 10 deaths.
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