Mauritius fights: decline in European tourists threatens economy!

Mauritius fights: decline in European tourists threatens economy!

Mauritius, Mauritius - The dream island of Mauritius, once a popular destination of European tourists, recorded a significant decline in visitors from Europe in 2025. According to information from fr.de , tourism was an essential component of the Maurite economy for many years. In 2022, the tourism sector made up about 10.28% of gross domestic product (GDP), which underlines the importance of this industry.

The persistent acceptance of vacationers from Europe has noticeable economic consequences. The income from the tourism sector, which has dropped drastically since 2020, has not recovered to this day. In January 2025, declines were registered compared to the previous year, while the arrival figures of European tourists fell by 12.1% in February 2025.

economic effects and competition

The competition through other exotic travel destinations such as the Seychelles, Maldives and Zanzibar is a main factor for the decline. Many European travelers are looking for authentic experiences, often the tourist offers in Mauritius do not offer the desired diversity. This considers a strategic realignment of the tourist offer to be necessary. Suggestions for diversification include the promotion of cultural heritage, local gastronomy, ecotourism and the offer of trend sports.

In 2022, the island recorded a total of 997,000 tourists, which is the 70th place worldwide. In relation to the population, Mauritius has a rate of 0.79 tourists per inhabitant, which makes up 50th place in the world comparison and the 2nd place in East Africa behind the Seychelles. Compared to the 1.81 billion euros in sales from 2019, the current income of around 1.39 billion euros from 2022 has dropped significantly because they are 75 percent less than in the previous year.

relaxation and outlook

The first signs of a slight recovery of the number of visitors were found in April 2025. This could possibly be due to new tourist offers and an increased marketing strategy. Nevertheless, the economic dependence on the tourism industry remains a central concern, since the government of Mauritius endeavors to reduce this dependency. The survey counts tourists who spend at least one night in the country and who do not live there for more than 12 months, while daily travelers are excluded.

The challenges of recent years have illustrated the need for a comprehensive adaptation to the changing travel habits of tourists. Mauritius, an important player in East African tourism, generated around 7 percent of all international tourism income in the region. The upcoming measures could be crucial to restore and strengthen the attractiveness of the island for future travelers. Further details on the tourist situation in Mauritius can be read in the information on laenderdaten.info