The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius has long been a beloved destination for tourists drawn to its long stretches of white-sand beaches, blue lagoons and coral reefs. Now, it is gearing up to attract more affluent golf enthusiasts. The 2,040 square kilometers (788 square miles) island – about half the size of Rhode Island – is seeking to lure them with high-end courses. Its 11th such facility, the Harmonie Beachcomber Golf Course designed by Olivier Dongradi, who’s also behind the Chateau d’Augerville club in France, is scheduled to open in 2026. La Reserve Golf Links, in the remote southern part of Mauritius, opened last year and was signed-off by Peter Matkovich and Louis Oosthuizen.
About 5 per cent of tourists visiting Mauritius come for golf courses, or about 60,000 visitors, said Francois Eynaud, chief executive officer of Sun, a luxury hotel operator. They tend to be high-spending guests with considerable purchasing power compared with a regular visitor, he said.
“We can reasonably assume that a golfer will spend 10 per cent to 15 per cent more,” Eynaud said. Tourism is Mauritius’ main source of foreign currency. The sector was upended by Covid-19 lockdowns and travel bans, and visitor numbers are only expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year with earnings estimated to exceed 90 billion rupees ($1.9 billion), according to the economic development board. Golf tourism could boost that further.
The global market is expected to grow by 52 per cent toUSD35 billion by 2029, driven by government initiatives to promote golf tourism, increasing interest in outdoor sports events and a rising number of young enthusiasts, according to research and markets.
Mauritius plans to use golf tournaments to increase visitor numbers. “It’s one area where Mauritius can really have more visibility, having more celebrities, golf champions coming to the island,” said Sydney Pierre, an avid golfer, who was recently appointed junior tourism minister. “Our ministry should and will encourage more golf championships coming to the island, to the destination,” he said in an interview December 8 at the MCB Tour Championship in Belle Mare on the east coast.
