Mauritius said tourist numbers rose by 6.9 percent in February from a year earlier, driven by a stronger-than-expected recovery in core European markets after the global economic slowdown.
Tourism typically generates about 10 percent of gross domestic product for Mauritius' $10 billion economy. European tourists account for some two-thirds of arrivals.
During February 2011, about 77,390 tourists visited Mauritius as compared to 72,366 in February 2010, the government said in a statement seen by Reuters.
The French market, one of the most important, grew by 6.5 percent while the Swiss market expanded by 32.5 percent and the Dutch market increased by 17.6 percent.
Mauritius' eastern markets also registered strong growth, with tourist numbers from China and India up 23.6 percent and 35 percent respectively. Visitor numbers from Russia more than doubled.
The global financial crisis hit Mauritius' tourism sector hard and underscored the industry's dependence on its European source markets, sparking efforts to lure more visitors from Asia and the Middle East.
Tourist arrivals to the Indian Ocean island rose 7.3 percent in 2010 to a record 934,827 while tourism revenues increased by 10.5 percent to 39.45 billion rupees. - Reuters