Tourism: 493,509 arrivals in the first quarter, up 1.4%

Mauritius welcomed 493,509 travelers in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting a 1.4% increase compared to 486,584 arrivals during the same period in 2025. This growth was driven primarily by air traffic, while maritime arrivals saw a decline.

Air arrivals increased by 4.9%, from 443,560 to 465,378 travelers. However, maritime arrivals plummeted by 34.6%, dropping from 43,024 to 28,131 passengers. The number of cruise passengers also fell by 37.5%, down to 25,832 from 41,299 the previous year.

Despite this, the tourism sector showed a more robust performance. Tourist arrivals rose by 6.8% to reach 348,445 visitors in the first quarter of 2026, up from 326,389 during the same period in 2025. Air arrivals of tourists grew by 5.1%, while maritime arrivals surged by 61.6%.

Tourism revenue saw an even more significant increase, amounting to Rs 30.19 billion in the first quarter of 2026, compared to Rs 23.58 billion a year earlier, marking a 28% growth. Average revenue per tourist rose from Rs 72,251 to Rs 86,642.

France remains the largest source market for tourists visiting Mauritius with 83,557 visitors, a slight increase of 0.7%. Among other markets, Germany recorded the highest absolute growth with 35,007 tourists, an increase of 50.3%. Increases were also noted from India (+21.1%), Italy (+31.1%), and Russia (+15.9%). Conversely, the UK saw a decrease of 4.5%.

Tourists spent a total of 4.31 million nights in the country during the quarter, which is a 5.6% increase compared to the previous year. However, the average length of stay slightly decreased from 11.7 to 11.6 nights.

In terms of hospitality, the average occupancy rate of licensed hotel rooms reached 70% in the first quarter of 2026, up from 68% a year earlier. The bed occupancy rate was recorded at 62%, showing a slight increase from 61% during the same period in 2025.

Source: Statistics Mauritius