Maritius to promote island splendor in Chinese

The Republic of Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean east of Africa, has taken another step in its promotional strategy in China.

The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, signed a memorandum of understanding with Alitrip under which it's poised to open a flagship store on the platform.

It said the official presence on Alitrip.com will promote Mauritius as a tourist destination to Chinese people and improve services in the Chinese market.

According to the organization, the online store will provide Chinese-language information, including ticket bookings and airport guides.

Mauritius Tourism signed the memorandum with Alitrip on Dec 9, continuing their long-term marketing cooperation.

Kevin Ramkaloan, director of the authority, says he expects the link with Alitrip will allow Chinese tourists to get easier access to resources in Mauritius.

China has been an important market for Mauritius. In 2015, the country saw a big surge in Chinese tourists — 41 percent to 90,000 after the introduction of a 30-day visa-free policy in 2013.

Alitrip.com is the online travel booking platform of Alibaba Group.