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Mauritius travel update: Further easing of entry regs

The beautiful island nation of Mauritius recently announced further easing of COVID-19 entry regulations for visitors. Here’s what’s changed…

Sun, sand, sea and sky in Mauritius. Photo: Ondrej Bocek / unsplash

Travelling made easier

Officially today, 1 July 2022, Mauritius will no longer require on-arrival testing for fully vaccinated visitors. The mask requirement is also now only required in public settings like hospitals, airports, ports and public transport.

 Arvind Bundhun, Director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, responded to the latest change in regulations for the country.

“I am confident that our post-pandemic recovery is well underway, and with the easing of sanitary measures, bookings for the second half of 2022 will be stimulated.” he said.

Visitors who are unvaccinated, however, must still spend seven days in quarantine in “accommodation of [their] choice”. Under 18s travelling with a parent or guardian do not need to show proof of vaccination to enter the country.

According to travel news, the island’s borders were officially opened on 1 October last year, and since then, over 500 000 tourists have visited the tropical destination. The double vaccination rate in the country is now over 90%, and around two-thirds of all over 18 have also received their booster shots.

Mauritius is already a beloved destination and had been seeing steady growth in tourism over the past twenty years – with a peak of 1.4M tourists visiting the little island in 2019.

Fully vaccinated visitors no longer face travel restrictions in Mauritius Photo: Dan DY / Unsplash

South Africans to Mauritius

The island nation has always been a favoured destination for South Africans, and now with local low cost airline FlySafair having relaunched flights to the tcountry on 8 March, flying to Mauritius has never been more cost-efective. Prices start at around R3 700 one way, depending on travel period.

This change to Mauritius COVID-19 regulations is the latest in a series of decreases in the severity of pandemic era legislation, reflecting a slow but steady return to “normal” and an increase in leisure travel once again.

ALSO READ: Data shows travel destinations of choice for South Africans

Sundeeka Mungroo

Sundeeka Mungroo is a content writer, foodie and all-round adventure-seeker. She's a graduate of the University of South Africa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature, and has worked as a copywriter and editor in the digital marketing industry. Sundeeka currently writes for I Love South Africa and The South African. She lives in the beautiful Mother City and loves exploring all that South Africa has to offer.

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