Following a lull in the aftermath of COVID 19, the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is all promise as the sixth edition gets back at a brand new venue in the North of the island at Mont Choisy Le Golf promising glitz, glamour, and a unique fest and fanfare.
Come December 15-18, the golf tournament promises to be an enthralling affair where the tournament inked a deal for live TV broadcasting through the European Tour Productions having a reach of 450 million households coupled with 29 independent broadcasts airing the 2019 event. It offered 18 hours of live broadcast carrying 5 hours every Thursday and Friday and 4 hours every weekend, boasting 72.4 million social media impressions, 882 online articles armed with a potential reach of 1.8 billion together with 4,000 plus spectators. That was in 2019 according to the promoters and this time the event swears to keep its promise of making it a grand spectacle.
Chairman of the Organising Committee Ryan Dodds was the compere at the media briefing and introduced the panel of stakeholders during the Q & A and remarked: “The 6th edition of the tournament is very special this year since it is hosted for the first time in the North of the island where golf is focussed in terms of a targeted crowd for Mauritius where the same is expected to book business class tickets, book hotel rooms that will carry several benefits to the island such as opening a bank account on the island and investing in real estate. Golf is also second most valuable in terms of advertisers behind football.”
Founder Executive and Interim CEO of AfrAsia Bank Thierry Vallet told that Mauritius is an IFC of repute where Afrasia Bank is a leading service provider across the financial services industry that fits with the jurisdiction’s aim to leverage investment as a hub where this event brings more than 400 global channels that would help boost marketing and visibility for Mauritius.
“We are delighted to make our return to the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour, and more importantly to be the catalyst for bringing the largest sporting event of the region to Mauritius for the first time since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
One of the main sponsors of the event is the Rogers and the Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels Group whose CEO Gilbert Espitalier-Noel underlined: “We are the new kid on the block, first to be associated with the tournament to tap into opportunities offered and must say that the Beachcomber group has been associated with golf for more than 25 years with the sports being an important part of our offerings.”
“The Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels Group is firmly entrenched in the history of Mauritius, and we are proud to partner with the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and help to stimulate the Mauritius tourism industry as we have done since 1962, he added.
Group Chief Executive Officer of the Mont Choisy Group Jyoti Jeetun considers it to be a privilege to host the 2022 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open while saying: “As the only 18-hole championship golf course in the North, we look forward to welcoming the international field to our Peter Matkovich-designed golf course and trust they will enjoy the golf course as well as their week spent in the most prestigious address in Grand Baie at the Mont Choisy Golf and Beach Estate.”
On the other hand, the Chief Tournament Business officer at DP World Tour Ben Cowen told that it has always been a popular event with its members since the tournament was incepted in 2010. “As a result of the COVID-19 challenges, we look forward to resuming the event at a new venue in Mont Choisy forming part of our 2023 schedule.”
Present at the event, Amrita Craig of the MTPA calls the island the perfect holiday, investment and golf gateway where the sixth edition is the first big event after two years of closing down. “Our strategy is to position Mauritius as a golf destination designed to attract tourists while reinforcing the position as a golf destination in Mauritius.”
