HOTEL groups Sun International and Beachcomber are adding facilities for teenagers in their drive to attract more families to Mauritius.
Up until now, hoteliers have not catered specifically for this potentially awkward age group, but from this autumn guests between the ages of 12 and 19 staying at all six Sun International resorts will be offered the chance to join the @sungeneration.com club.
On offer will be a schedule of activities that include cruises, shopping sprees and environmental excursions, as well as discos and beach parties. Two resorts – Le Coco Beach Resort on the east coast of Mauritius and the Sugar Beach Resort in the west – will have dedicated hangouts for teenagers to escape from their parents.
General manager of the club Philip Dupont said: “The main objective of the hangouts is to provide a place where teenagers can socialise and express themselves, although obviously they will be supervised. In the past, there has always been plenty of sport to do here. But something was missing. There can be conflict with parents at that age and we wanted to provide somewhere for teenagers to meet without their parents.”
Since Sun International starting testing the concept a year ago, Dupont estimates that the number of teenage guests has already increased by 25% thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations.
Meanwhile, Beachcomber has introduced a club for teenagers at the newly revamped Shandrani, due to open on December 1.
The operator will offer a daily programme of water-skiing lessons, cycling, beach barbecues and other activities.
Sales manager Paul Bedford said: “We will have computer games in the hotel but the emphasis will be on the outdoors. For parents it will be a bit like sending their kids off to camp because they know they will be supervised but it won’t cost them any more. Research among clients with children showed we needed to treat teenagers as a specific market. Three to 12-year-olds are already catered for by the Bob Marlin Kids’ Club, but parents wanted a platform for the teenagers to mix,” he added.
To give parents an added incentive to book what has traditionally been seen as an expensive destination, the operator has reduced its rates for under-18s. At Shandrani, parents will pay the same room rate for all guests under the age of 18, instead of having to fork out the adult price for over 11s.
Younger children will also get a piece of the action. Sun International is revamping facilities for children between the ages of two and 11, in a bid to broaden the destination’s appeal beyond the couplesmarket.
This November sees the opening of a Robin Hood theme club at Le Touessrok, while the newly renovated Saint Geran will have a Peter Pan-themed kids’ club.
Sun International’s Dupont said: “We have always provided kids’ facilities at our hotels but from November, each club will be branded and will have similar programmes so there is some continuity.”
The only downside to the destination for families is the lengthy flight time – around 11hrs, a considerable time to keep children occupied.
British Airways Holidays product manager for the Indian Ocean Carol Miles believes that the situation has been eased on BAflights due to the introduction of a wider range of in-flight entertainment for children.
“The Skyfliers programme rolled out earlier this year in our World Traveller class, offers activity packs, with magazines and pens, and a treasure chest with complementary toys.
“Skyfliers’ meals are now served before their parents. Another service is pre-bookable seats for families – you have priority for seats with extra legroom. If conditions allow, children can also visit the cockpit,” she said.
The introduction of special deals and the knowledge that children of all ages will be looked after by trained reps is now beginning to have an impact on the family market, according to director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority Toto Ghoorah.
“Because of the sheer distance from the UK, couples will remain our core market. However, we are predicting a 7% increase in the number of families visiting Mauritius from the UK this year,” he said.
Mark Rushton, 16, stayed at Sun International’s Coco Beach resort in August.
“I’ve been very lucky to have travelled all over the world from Hong Kong to the Caribbean but I would say Mauritius was my best holiday so far. The people are so friendly and the hotel was really good with a very wide range of facilities.
“The club for teenagers, @sungeneration.com, started at 10.30am and went on throughout the day. There was a timetable of different activities such as football, table tennis, darts, water polo and sailing, which you could pick and choose from
“If you didn’t want to do it they were very easy going and you could leave at any time. Being able to use the club meant you could make more friends of your own age and socialise more. It also meant you could play sports you wouldn’t be able to do on your own, such as water polo.
“Everything about the holiday was great, from the people I met, to the resort itself. It was perfect for me in every way, except I had to leave. Other holiday resorts could cater for teenagers better if they did what Coco Beach does and created time-tabled events for teenagers to join if they want.”
Natalie Zara Futcher, 18, stayed at the Coco Beach resort in July.
“This was my second visit to Mauritius, but my first stay at the Coco Beach resort. I thought the hotel was great.
“There was basketball, roller-blading, golf, you name it, they had it. One of my favourite activities was cocktail mixing and, of course, drinking the results.
“If you didn’t like the activities on that day you could hire out the water sports equipment or go to the games room and play to your heart’s content. I took up water skiing and roller-blading. It was great to try new things and meet new people. In fact, I found it difficult to fit in lunch because there was so much going on. Hotels need trendy, enthusiastic staff like those at Coco Beach.”
Sample Product: Cost of family holidays in Mauritius
BAH: a seven-night package on an all-inclusive basis at the four-star Maritim hotel costs £1,199 per adult and £649 per child aged two-11, from January to April 2000. Price includes flights and transfers.
Beachcomber: a seven-night package at the five-star Shandrani costs £1,194 per adult and £550 for children aged two-11 or £809 per child aged 12-17 in January. The deal includes half-board accommodation, transfers, air fare and free motorised water sports.
Kuoni: a seven-night all-inclusive package at Sun International’s three-star Le Coco Beach costs £1,179 per adult and £590 per child under 12 for January. Included in the deal are flights with Air Mauritius, transfers, excursions, sports lessons and a children’s club.
Elite Vacations: a seven-night package at Sun International’s four-star-plus Sugar Beach costs £1,274 per adult and £595 for children aged two-11. The deal, valid for January, includes flights with Air Mauritius, private transfers and half board.