Lux Island Resort says full-year profit jumps 127 pct

PORT LOUIS (Reuters) - Mauritius hotels group Lux Island Resorts reported a full-year pretax profit jump of 127 percent to 329.79 million rupees ($10.55 million) due to higher visitor numbers. Tourism is a key source of hard currency for the Indian Ocean island nation known for its luxury spas and beaches. The island has increasingly turned to Chinese tourists to make up for a decline in arrivals from Europe since the global financial crisis. The luxury hotel group, which has properties in the Maldives and Reunion as well as Mauritius, said on Monday full year occupancy rates rose 4 percent to 72 percent, lifting the group's earnings in the financial year to the end of June. Revenue rose to 4.21 billion rupees from 3.77 billion, the company said in a statement. Earnings per share climbed to 2.22 rupees from 0.88 rupees. Bookings for the second quarter ending December 31 were better than in the similar period last year, the company said, adding that it expected profit for the first half of its current financial year to improve on the year ago period. (1 US dollar = 31.2500 Mauritius rupee)