India and Mauritius are looking at whether the Indian rupee can be used by tourists visiting the island, national daily, the Hindu quoted on Wednesday, Mauritius Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Leisure and External Communications Charles Gaetan Xavier Luc Duval as saying.

"The issue of whether Indian rupee can be used by Indian tourists is being examined by the central banks of the two countries. The idea is that tourists do not have to constantly convert foreign exchange that they care carrying on their visits. The proposal, if accepted, will be applicable for tourists coming to Mauritius and not other Indians," the minister said.

The proposal is one of the several measures that are being considered to facilitate travel of more Indians to Mauritius.

The deputy prime minister also invited Indian industry to invest in Mauritius. The two nations have further decided to strengthen cooperation in the area of tourism and culture. They have also agreed to exchange expertise in the area of island tourism, human resource development and joint marketing of tourism destinations.

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2006)