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Home Page > News > Boycott Mauritius campaign grows in wake of Michaela McAreavey newspaper photo scandal

Boycott Mauritius campaign grows in wake of Michaela McAreavey newspaper photo scandal

Donegal travel agent refuses to sell holidays to honeymoon resort

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, July 17, 2012, 7:28 AM

Updated Tuesday, July 17, 2012, 9:51 AM

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An online Boycott Mauritius campaign is encouraging people not to go to there until Michaela Harte's family gets justice

Photo by Google Images

Irish travel agents are boycotting trade with Mauritius – as a newspaper there tried to defend its decision to publish photographs of murder victim Michaela McAreavey, taken minutes after her death.

There has been widespread revulsion in Ireland after hotel workers Avinash Treebhoowoon, 32, and Sandip Moneea, 43, were cleared last week of Michaela’s murder.

Anger grew when the Mauritian Sunday Times ran a photograph of Michaela’s lifeless body on its front page with another 11 pictures inside.

Over 5,500 people have already signed a Facebook campaign page after European Parliament member Sean Kelly called on Irish tourists to boycott Mauritius until such time as Michaela’s killers are brought to justice.

Now Irish travel agents have answered his call with Donegal businesswoman Carolyn Davis, adamant that her Liberty Travel company in Letterkenny will not sell holidays to the destination.

Davis told the Irish Sun newspaper, “This is not a publicity stunt. We had a meeting in the office and the girls agreed we would not have the stomach to sell Mauritius.

“When you are selling a honeymoon you have to believe in the product and their security is paramount.

“I have been particularly appalled at the treatment of Michaela’s husband John McAreavey, 31, by island authorities in the aftermath of the murder.

“We just don’t have the stomach to sell it as a destination. There are very big questions that will have to be answered by the police out there.

“I am inundated with calls congratulating us about this. Everybody is horrified by what happened and my staff is 100 per cent behind me as well. We just felt so sorry for Michaela’s dad Mickey Harte and his family.

“I would urge other members of the travel trade to think about it.”

Industry leader Pat Dawson from the Irish Travel Agents Association said agents are meeting the same reaction all across Ireland.

He said, “The murder and photo scandal is personal to the Irish people.

“We’re a small country, we’re all family. The individual travel agents themselves don’t have enthusiasm for selling Mauritius now and I couldn’t see them for years getting enthusiastic about it.

“It would be very hard to talk up Mauritius now to somebody going on their honeymoon. It’s going to be years and years before there is a recovery. I think about 3,000 people used to go there from Ireland before this happened but now it would be in the hundreds.”

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Belphagor | Jul 19, 2012, 07:34 PM EDT

Of course it would be wrong to take this injustice out on Mauritians living in Ireland, the decision made by the court wasn't anything to do with them and they are obviously living in Ireland because they prefer it to Mauritius. Personally the country is too hot for my irish skin and although Iam not boycotting it, I will never be going there.

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andrewdessa | Jul 19, 2012, 08:03 AM EDT

I am amazed by the reaction of the Irish people after the court verdict.I am Mauritian,married to an Irish and on holiday on the island of Ireland at the moment.I am saddened by the fact that justice has not been done in this case.I agree there are issues with the police and justice system in Mauritius and this would be the case in many other third world countries.However ,I cannot understand what the sudden hatred towards Mauritians and Mauritius and I am particularly concerned by the comments made by IrelandNorth which would indicate that perhaps he is suggesting that 3000 Mauritian citizen living in Ireland should either be sent home or become targets for attacked because one Irish woman did not get justice in Mauritius.I suggest that you Google unsolved murders in Ireland ,particularly in Cork and you would find that a Mauritian was shot dead but her case to date remains open.I do not remember Mauritians calling the Irish savages or terrorists and wanting to stop visiting Ireland or doing business with them. I am sorry to say that terrorists turned politicians cannot teach others how to deal with justice and law.Mauritians were outraged by the killing of Michaela ,not all Mauritians were jumping with joy outside the court. My country is as safe as and as dangerous as the island of Ireland.I was nearly blown up by the IRA several years ago when I was in Belfast.If that was the case I do not believe my family,friends or countryman would have branded all Irish terrorists.So please have some common sense and realise that you are just jumping on the bandwagon because of whose daughter Michaela was and not an innocent victim of crime.The majority of Mauritians are law abiding ,loving people just like the majority of Irish people are.I do not blame the Irish for what happened to the Mauritian woman in Cork ,she was the victim of a serious crime just like Michaela was in Mauritius.Nothing more than that.

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jen22 | Jul 19, 2012, 01:41 AM EDT

putting a picture of that island asking irish people and people of other countries not to go there is despicable , because of a criminal should the entire population pay for it , how many crime happen in ireland should ireland be boycott for this reason , we agree michaeala has lost her life by diplomatic means government of ireland can ask the pm of mauritius to re open this case in order to do justice and find the criminals the real culprits . by putting picture of mauritius you are doing publicity for that country some people dont know where mauritius is found . people of mauritius is asking there government to reintroduce death penalty for crime after the michaeal case , so that crime like that is not perpetuated again ,

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IrelandNorth | Jul 18, 2012, 06:35 AM EDT

The scenes of jubiliation outside the courtroom when accused were found not guilty was somewhat disconcerting. The real question is how the press got the photos, ie from jurors, police or other. Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures report 3,000 Mauritian citizens living/working in Ireland (26 counties of) in 2011 Census. They should be reminded by the despatched Irish ambassador that more than their tourist industry may be at stake.

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ritmomente | Jul 17, 2012, 04:07 PM EDT

Citizen, since there is no semblance of a criminal justice system on the island, it is plainly unsafe for another human being to be on that island. It is an invitation for murder. This is Natalee Holloway in Aruba all over again.

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lawyer4 | Jul 17, 2012, 12:19 PM EDT

Ireland is lucky not to have been boycotted by French, Germans ans Spanish people for failing to bring the murderers of citizens of those countries to justice. Police incompetence (and worse) is common everywhere, and to blame an entire country for not fulfilling the morbid expectations of tabloid readers several thousand miles away is despicable.

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citizen69 | Jul 17, 2012, 11:34 AM EDT

I think it's a bit pointless and unfair to boycott a whole country because one police dept. messed up the investigation. I have great sympathy for the McAreavey & Harte families but this won't bring them justice. Contrary to what 'Pat' the travel agent said in the article, the latest figures showed that the number of people travelling to Mauritius from Ireland & the UK is down by 10% but the overall figure for people holidaying on the island has went up.

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