Last week, Heritage Resorts hosted for the second time the acclaimed AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open (ABMO), the first tri-sanctioned golf tournament in the world. Dylan Frittelli is the champion of the four-day tournament, the biggest sports event in the Indian Ocean which puts Mauritius in the spotlight as a favored golf destination.
Each year, more than 60 000 tourists travel to Mauritius to play golf, generating Rs 3 billion in revenue. Events like the ABMO (and the fact it is diffused in 480 million households) and the island’s dozen stunning courses favor an increase in arrivals and revenue. After the 2015 edition, the number of golfers at Heritage Golf Club increased by 25%. François Eynaud, CEO of Veranda Leisure Hospitality, believes that golf is an incentive for many foreign investors looking to purchase real estate in Mauritius.
For the fourth consecutive year, Heritage Golf Club was granted the title of “Best Indian Ocean Golf Course” by the World Golf Awards. The success of the first edition paired with the gorgeous championship course, state-of-the-art facilities, the pooled resources and effort of the VLH and Heritage teams and sponsors and finally, the cooperation between the private and public sectors are instrumental in fostering and nurturing trust with the European, Asian, and Sunshine tours, who set the bar high in terms of quality, upshot and exposure.
This year’s tournament, labelled “the most beautiful week in golf” was packed with emotion and fun and a chance for the hotels’ guests to witness Top 56 golfers play, and for golfers to enjoy the newly renovated hotels. More than a tournament, this year’s ABMO was a golf fest with myriad parties, events, a game of footgolf with Liverpool FC legends, an auction with all proceeds going to the AfrAsia School Golf Academy. (a Liverpool European cup shirt was auctioned off.) Heritage Resorts’ offer, which encompasses two five-stars, the historic Heritage Le Château, the Heritage Nature Reserve, the Heritage C Beach Club and a dozen restaurants provide ample venues to host memorable and even sizable events.
“It is symbolic to gather the African, Asian and European golf spheres on one island, where these cultures coexist,” noted François Eynaud.
