1 Million Tourist Mark Smashed as Mauritius Hails Record Growth

Mauritius has exceeded one million tourist arrivals for the year, a milestone confirmed by new data from Statistics Mauritius, with the Minister of Tourism, Richard Duval, hailing the sector’s performance and predicting record receipts.

The country welcomed 1,008,098 tourists in the first nine months of this year, surpassing the 971,800 recorded over the same period in 2024, continuing a steady progression in tourist flow.

This achievement comes alongside the Minister’s claim of “exceptional growth” during the typically quiet low season.

Mr. Duval, speaking at a ceremony honouring Sir Gaëtan Duval on the 11th October, also predicted that total arrivals for the year would reach 1.4 million, generating “historic record” receipts estimated at Rs 100 billion.

Key Figures and Regional Breakdown

Of the year-to-date total, 620,395 visitors arrived by air. The majority of visitors were from Europe with 627,783 arrivals, followed by Africa with 223,711, Asia with 119,265, the United States with 22,602, and Oceania with 14,251.

The positive trend was also evident in September, which saw a slight increase to 104,492 visitors compared to 102,453 in September 2024.

• In September, Europe remained the primary source market with 66,171 visitors, followed by Africa (20,789), Asia (13,489), Oceania (2,131), and the United States (1,874).
• The average length of stay in September was unchanged from 2024 at 11.4 nights.

Minister Emphasises Connectivity

Minister Duval, who commented that “the results speak for themselves” after initial criticism upon taking office, cautioned that the sector’s continued success depends on air connectivity.

“If we don’t widen our connectivity, we won’t be able to progress,” he stressed, highlighting the importance of developing new markets like Qatar, China, and Asia, which he claimed were previously neglected.

He also celebrated a 45% growth in the Indian market and progress in the Scandinavian market. The Minister noted ongoing negotiations to restart work with Russia and its carrier Aeroflot, alongside talks with “the Americans,” concluding that “Next year will also be a record year for tourism.”

Source: l’Express