Beachcomber resorts, the Mauritius-based company which opened an office here in May 2002, has closed this operation following lower than expected interest among Middle East travellers, said sources.
It had participated in roadshows in the region to promote its beach-front resorts in Mauritius and created an awareness among tourists.
In the aftermath of September 11, it was expected that many Gulf tourists would visit Mauritius, as many Arabs were shying away from North America.
"In May 2002, at a time when new air links were being established between Dubai and Mauritius, Beachcomber decided to open a representative office in Dubai to provide services to potential clientele in the Middle East countries and generate business for resort hotels in Mauritius and the Seychelles," said Robert Doger de Speville, commercial director of Beachcomber Ltd.
"After 18 months of operation, it is noted that although an appreciable degree of awareness has been created, yet the volume of arrivals from the Middle East countries was far below expectations.
"This has brought Beachcomber to review its marketing strategy and it has now been decided for better cost effectiveness to close down its office in Dubai and to effect the monitoring of the aforesaid market directly from the Beachcomber head office in Mauritius," he said.
Air traffic between Dubai and Mauritius has increased since last year, when Air Mauritius and Emirates launched their services.
Emirates and Beachcomber even promoted Mauritius in Europe and other travel markets with stopovers in Dubai.
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