Tourist Arrivals: Over One Million Achieved, Record in Sight

Despite the low season, the island welcomed over a million visitors in nine months. Tourism Minister Richard Duval expresses his ambitions for 2026.

The figures were released on Friday, October 10, and are a cause for celebration for the Mauritian government. Statistics Mauritius reports that tourist arrivals in September reached 102,453, marking a 2% increase from the previous month. From January to September 2025, Mauritius welcomed 1,008,098 tourists, compared to 971,800 during the same period in 2024, representing a growth of 3.7%.

An “extraordinary result,” said Tourism Minister Richard Duval on Saturday, October 11, after a wreath-laying ceremony at Saint-Jean cemetery in tribute to the late Sir Gaëtan Duval, on the occasion of his 95th birthday. “Some criticized me and didn’t give me time. It hurt… but today, the numbers speak for themselves,” the minister responded to the criticism since taking office.

This 3.7% improvement reflects uninterrupted monthly gains during the low season from April to September. Taking these consecutive improvements into account, Statistics Mauritius has revised its annual estimates upwards from 1.4 million tourists in June to a new forecast of 1.425 million. In the National Assembly, on Tuesday, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Navin Ramgoolam indicated that this will be the first time Mauritius surpasses pre-pandemic levels.

Opening of the Skies

Analyzing the figures, the Ministry of Tourism hopes for a positive high season overall: “The increase in tourist arrivals over the last two quarters demonstrates Mauritius's resilience and appeal as a premium destination. By the end of September, we had already surpassed the million visitor mark. If the trend continues, as seems to be the case with hotel bookings, we will exceed 1.4 million tourists and possibly reach the record estimate of 1.425 million indicated by Statistics Mauritius.” And even more, “a revenue of Rs 100 billion.”

The minister also mentioned discussions with the Prime Minister to enhance air connectivity: “I emphasized the need to further open our skies. We need to strengthen our links with Qatar, Asia, China… and I am also negotiating with the United States.” He adds that “2026 will be an even more record-breaking year.”

Europe remains the primary source market, with 627,783 visitors, including 226,180 from France. However, the Ministry of Tourism expresses “cautious optimism” regarding a slight decline in traditional French and German markets over the first nine months of the year, reflecting “the economic reality in Europe.”

Conversely, other markets are compensating for this stagnation. The minister is particularly pleased with results from the Indian market: “We recorded a 45% increase in this market,” he highlights. The British, Réunionese, South African, Swiss, and Italian markets are also on the rise. To offset the deficit of German tourists, “known for their cruising in the region,” the upcoming arrival of the AIDAblu cruise ship in Mauritian waters is expected to provide a boost.

Hotel Groups Confirm the Trend

The outlook confirms the analysis from hotel groups regarding the high season. New Mauritius Hotels, the country’s leading hotel group, states that it has started the financial year 2025-26 on a strong note, with first-quarter results expected to surpass those of the same quarter last year, and “bookings for the upcoming high season remain very encouraging.” Sun Limited indicates that “the forward momentum in Fiscal Year 2026 remains positive, supported by a 9.3% rise in tourist arrivals over the first two months.”

Tourism revenue for the months of January to August has increased by around 8%, rising from Rs 58.5 billion to Rs 63 billion, as reported by the Bank of Mauritius on Friday. A possible reason for this improvement is the appreciation of the euro against the rupee. Mauritius is thus expected to conclude 2025 with revenues exceeding the estimated gross tourism receipts of Rs 93.6 billion for 2024.

Additionally, Richard Duval emphasizes the importance of domestic tourism. Regarding the three-euro per tourist per night accommodation tax introduced in tourist establishments, he states that it is necessary to contribute to environmental protection and sustainable sector development. “We cannot continue to allow the erosion of our beaches to progress. This tax is a contribution to ecotourism,” he indicates.