Less than 180,000 tourists in 2021
The recovery in tourist numbers only began late in the last quarter of 2021 in Mauritius and was thwarted by the “red” classification of the destination in December. Over the twelve months of the year, the sister island welcomed only 178,733 visitors, a figure still down 36% compared to 2020 (attendance was strong at the start of the year, until the borders close in March).
L’Europe, with 145,555 arrivals, brings together the main emitting countries : France (51,520 visitors), the United Kingdom (34 169) and Germany (18 523). The meeting, usually a major supplier of tourists to Mauritius, represents only 5,288 arrivals over the year, and only 361 in December when compelling reasons were again required to embark for Plaisance. Another important source market until the start of the crisis, South Africa only sent 8,053 travelers to Mauritius in 2021 and Middle Eastern countries alone (6,316 visitors) do better than India (2,814 arrivals) and China (491) united.
Rupee weakened, rising inflation
Mid-January, the dollar was worth 43,6 Mauritian rupees, against 30 rupees ten years earlier and 38 in February 2020. The currency of the sister island continues to depreciate, almost two years after the start of the health crisis. Main source of foreign exchange, tourism revenue fell from 63 to 17 billion rupees in 2020. The country's monetary policy over the past two years also contributes to the depreciation of the rupee and revives inflation., estimated at 6,8% in 2021. End December, fuels thus recorded an increase of 10%. The liter of gasoline was displayed at 55,75 rupees at the pump, evening 1,13 euros, and the liter of diesel at 41 rupees (0,83 euros).
31,000 jobs destroyed in one year
The employment situation continues to deteriorate in Mauritius, where the number of people employed increased from 507,400 at the end of the 3rd quarter of 2020 to 476,100 a year later. In the meantime, 9,600 Mauritians retired.
31,000 jobs would therefore have been destroyed in one year.
A new South African company in Plaisance
The South African low-cost airline FlySafair will land for the first time on March 8 in Mauritius, from Johannesburg. It will operate two weekly flights, Tuesday and Saturday. FlySafair was supposed to start this route in December but was prevented from doing so by the health crisis. This will be the company's first international line. Air Mauritius, for its part, resumed its service to Johannesburg at the beginning of January, codeshare with South African Airways, five times a week.
