Mauritius hosted the finalists of Miss France in 2008 and 2013; and the destination gained a high visibility through the French media. Miss France is the hallmark of the annual beauty pageant of France, which takes place in December.
The 71st edition of Miss France took place in December 15, 2018 and the beauty pageant, Vaimalama Chaves was crowned Miss France 2019. In the presence of the Minister of Tourism, the Honorable Anil Kumarsingh Gayan and the Director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), Mr. Arvind Bundhun; Vaimalama Chaves affirmed that the Mauritian landscapes look like those of Polynesia. She stated that this trip has been an important cultural discovery because of the proximity to the metropolis.
The Miss France designation was preceded by a preparatory phase that took place in Mauritius from 20 to 27 November 2018. A team comprising of 75 people including 30 contestants were in Mauritius, for an intense week-long training under the direction of Ms. Sylvie Tellier, CEO of Miss France Organization. This training comprised of photo shoots, video sessions, activities and promotional sessions for the destination.
During her trip to Mauritius, the Miss was called to participate in several activities organised by Air Mauritius, Beachcomber and the MTPA which have all been major partners of the event.