Island paradise lures Chinese tourists

Faced with stiff competition from Seychelles and Maldives in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius, one of Africa's prime holiday destinations, is seeking to attract more Chinese tourists as the growth of its European visitors stagnates.

"We have witnessed a growing number of Chinese visitors in recent years. In 2012, about 20,000 Chinese visitors came to Mauritius, an increase of 77 percent compared with 2011. And we are expecting to have 40,000 Chinese tourists by the end of this year," said Michael Sik Yeung, minister for Tourism and Leisure in Mauritius.

China still only ranks No 9 on the list of the island's top 10 inbound tourism countries, and Chinese tourists currently account for only 1 percent of the nation's total visitors.