Mauritius Wants Its British Visitors Back and Asked Its Airline for Help

Mauritius has noticed that fewer Britons are arriving, and it is pressing its national airline to do something about it. Following what the head of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, Dinesh Burrenchobay, described as a long meeting with Air Mauritius on Friday, September 26, the carrier has committed to increase its London Gatwick service to at least five flights a week year-round, and potentially back to daily. Burrenchobay said he expects extra UK flights by next summer, though the airline did not commit to a firm timetable.

The context is a gradual slide in British demand. UK visitor numbers to Mauritius were two per cent lower last year than in 2024, then fell a further 11 per cent in the first half of this year, which the tourist board attributes largely to disruption linked to the Middle East conflict. There are signs of recovery: August arrivals from the UK rose 5.2 per cent year on year, the first increase in seven months, driven by last-minute bookings. The UK is the island’s second-largest source market after France.

Air capacity has been part of the problem. Air Mauritius flew daily from Gatwick until last year, when weak demand led it to cut back to five weekly flights, dipping to four in low season. The airline’s UK sales manager, Allan Owen, said the plan is to rebuild to a daily London service by summer 2028, adding capacity as demand grows. The carrier has three additional Airbus A350s on order, with the first due in December 2026, which should give it more aircraft to work with.

The tourist board is also spending to win back attention, with a global campaign costing around £785,000 planned for later this year, including London Underground advertising, and a focus on attractions beyond the beaches. For travellers, more nonstop frequencies would mean more flexible dates and less reliance on connections through the Gulf, Paris or Johannesburg. Until the extra flights appear, anyone planning a Mauritius trip from the UK should check the current weekly pattern before fixing hotel dates.

Sources: Travel Gossip, Air Mauritius