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# [MAURITIUS] Tourism: 668,471 Visitors in H1 2026, Annual Record Firmly in Sight
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/maurice-tourisme-668-471-visiteurs-au-1er-semestre-2026-le-cap-du-record-annuel-en-ligne-de-mire-en/
- Published: 2026-08-25T02:47:16.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-25T02:47:16.000Z
- Description: Mauritian tourism holds up in H1 2026 with 668,471 arrivals, up 1.5% year-on-year despite a June dip of 8.4%. The maritime segment (cruise ships) surged 55.8%. The target: beat the 2025 record of 1,436,250 visitors.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Maurice, tourisme, Économie, Revue matinale, #en

Mauritius tourism navigates H1 2026 on a positive trajectory, despite a turbulent June. The island welcomed **668,471 visitors** between January and June 2026, compared to 658,909 in the same period of 2025, a progression of **+1.5%**. An encouraging result that keeps the government's annual target alive: surpassing the record of **1,436,250 arrivals** set across the whole of 2025.

## Maritime surging, air travel under pressure

The breakdown by transport mode is revealing. While air traffic grew by only 0.2% over the semester, the maritime segment exploded: **+55.8%** with 23,331 visitors arriving by sea thanks to cruise ship port calls. A trend illustrating the diversification of Mauritius's tourism offer, now less dependent on air travel alone.

June 2026, however, brought a chill: just **89,098 tourists**, down **8.4%** from June 2025\. The Tourism Minister cited external conjunctural factors — geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and a World Cup effect — to explain this temporary slowdown.

## An ambitious but realistic annual target

To reach 1,436,250 visitors, Mauritius will need approximately **768,000 arrivals in the second semester**, a performance comparable to record years. The European market remains the top source of tourists, but the island is also betting on diversification toward sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia to secure its flows.

Hotels continue to capture most stays: according to Statistics Mauritius, **7 out of 10 tourists** prefer staying in hotels, a ratio that favours premium hotel operators and experiential tourism players.

## Why it matters

Tourism represents a decisive share of Mauritius's GDP and balance of payments. Maintaining momentum in the second semester — traditionally the stronger half — is a direct economic challenge for thousands of jobs in hospitality, restaurants, transport and crafts. H1 2026 data shows that despite a turbulent international environment, Mauritius remains a resilient and desirable destination.

*Sources: Le Mauricien, Statistics Mauritius, ilemauricetourisme.info — July 2026.*