The hotel industry in Mauritius managing uncertainties and ensuring recovery

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry has been the hardest hit in Mauritius due to health containment measures linked to travel restrictions and the closure of borders to prevent the spread of the virus. The hotel industry attempted to change their operations and activities to adjust to the uncertainties of the pandemic and to avoid closure and bankruptcy. The paper assesses the strategies adopted by the luxury, large and low-cost hotels in Mauritius to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and to adjust to the ‘new normal’. The research methodology adopts a qualitative approach with interviews carried out with the hotel managers or owners of 20 hotels in different regions of Mauritius. The study probes into the various strategies adopted, namely, digital transformation and technological innovation, social media marketing, the restructuring of the labour force, diversification of activities and focus on local tourism to ensure survival.