Dubai: Mauritius, a beach destination, is trying to become a place to do business.

At a press conference on Monday, Michael Yeung Sik Yuen, Mauritius Minister of Tourism and Leisure, said that the government had introduced incentives to develop the island’s Mice (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism.

According to him, for every 100 visitors the government of Mauritius is offering 100,000 Mauritian rupees to be spent in Mauritius, he told Gulf News on the sidelines of the conference.

He added that Emirates airline has proposed a special tariff for Mice visitors to Mauritius, which is expected to be finalised within days.

“We have also asked for a special tariff for 2014 for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries,” he said.

Mauritius is known for its leisure offering, such as water sports and safaris. It also features retail and dining areas. The island has more than 100 hotels, with up to three set to open this year, according to Sik Yuen.

Alongside its ambitions to become a business destination, Mauritius is keen on increasing visitor numbers from the GCC countries, where it sees great potential, as well as China and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

This year it aims to increase visitor numbers from the GCC by “at least 50 per cent” and from the UAE by “more than 100 per cent,” Sik Yuen said.

Mauritius attracts a million tourists a year. The island received 12,000 visitors from the GCC in 2013, up 50 per cent from 8,000 in 2012, according to Sik Yuen. Visitors from the UAE stood at 8,000 last year, doubling from 4,000 in the previous year, he said. The average length of stay for GCC visitors is one week, he said.

According to Orhan Abbas, senior vice-president of commercial operations for Latin America, Central and Southern Africa at Emirates airline, demand for Mauritius is strong, reflected by the recent deployment of an Airbus A380, a wide-body aircraft, to the island. UAE nationals do not require a visa to visit Mauritius, according to Sik Yuen.

Emirates operates 14 flights per week and two flights per day from Dubai to Mauritius.

Mauritius just ended its promotional campaign in the GCC, which cost $1 million (Dh3.67 million), Sik Yuen said.

The roadshow was held between February 2 and 10 in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. It was organised by Emirates airline and the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority.