Following the murder of Michaela Harte in her hotel room at the luxury Legends hotel in Mauritius on January 10, concerns have been raised about the island’s image as a safe travel destination.
Three employees at the hotel have since been arrested in connection with the crime. In a statement to the media, CEO of Naïade Resorts, Paul Jones, said the management and staff had given their full co-operation to the investigating team and were awaiting official police reports to establish the exact events that took place. Julian Hagger, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Naïade Resorts told Tourism Update: “The investigation is still under way and no operational safety breakdowns have been identified in this case. Legends has always taken security at its resorts very seriously.”
The murder of the Irish tourist has dominated headlines, particularly in the UK, Ireland and South Africa, prompting questions about the possible long-term effects on tourism to Mauritius. Naïade Resorts and other tourism stakeholders are calling for calm, citing the murder as an isolated incident and not a reflection on the safety of the country as a whole.
According to Mandy Watson, Marketing Manager at Naïade Holidays, the hotel is still operating at 100% occupancy. Naïade Resorts has experienced a slight decrease in bookings since the incident, with about 10 reservations worldwide being cancelled since January 14.
Jones added: “Security for all our guests remains our top priority and we are committed to giving the highest level of service. I have been involved in the tourism industry of Mauritius for the past 35 years and this is the first time I have encountered a tragedy of this kind.”
Sean Kritzinger, Director of Giltedge Africa agreed: “There will be an effect but not a massive one; this is really the first incident of its kind. The hotel and police also dealt with the matter swiftly and those involved will be brought to book.”
Kritzinger added that there had been a handful of cancellations from the US, UK and European markets but was doubtful the incident would have an effect on South African travellers. “The Dewani incident had more of an effect on bookings and obviously it is up to each operator to decide for themselves, but we believe that in a resort environment, this is a once-off.”
Meanwhile, Hagger told Tourism Update that while the incident was regrettable, tour operators should reassure their clients that “this is very much an isolated incident and could have happened anywhere in the world. Mauritius remains a safe destination to visit with one of the lowest crime rates worldwide.”
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) recently updated its travel advice to Mauritius with the following: “On 10 January 2011, an Irish tourist was murdered in her hotel room at a resort in the north of the island. Mauritius is a country with low levels of violent crime, and incidents such as this are very uncommon, but as when travelling anywhere you should remain vigilant and exercise caution.”
