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.