The Central Statistics Office (CSO) said that tourist arrivals for the first half of 2010 increased by 6.2 per cent to reach a figure of 439,150 compared to the 413,504 who visited the country during the same period last year.

The CSO said about 93 per cent of the tourists came on holidays while four per cent were on business and conference trips and another 0.6 per cent in transit visit. The government agency indicated that arrivals from Europe increased by 2.8 per cent to reach 286,418 as against the 278,621 in the same period last year.

Arrivals from France, the island’s leading market, grew by 8.7 per cent or 142,030 arrivals. Arrivals from the other major European countries were as follows Italy (+1.6 per cent), Germany (-3.3 per cent), United Kingdom (-5.2 per cent), Switzerland (+24.1 per cent), Austria (+10.3 per cent), Belgium (-5.2 per cent), the Netherlands (-19.0 per cent), Spain (-26 per cent) and Sweden (-26.4 per cent).

The CSO said arrivals from Africa increased by 13.2 per cent to 104,415 with South African arrivals going up by 16.9 per cent to reach 38,021 and those from Reunion Island by 9.1 per cent to reach 53,282. From Seychelles, the figure was (+38.9 per cent), Comoros (+31.2 per cent), Kenya (+17.5 per cent), Madagascar (+17.2 per cent) and Zimbabwe (-10.7 per cent).

The Asian market grew by 21.2 per cent to reach 36,182 with arrivals from India, rising by 26.4 per cent to 24,764, and Singapore (+35.6 per cent), Malaysia (+19.6 per cent), Japan (+12.8 per cent), China (+7.7 per cent), United Arab Emirates (+7.7 per cent) and Hong Kong (+1.5 per cent). A total of 104 hotels were in operation as at June 2010, employing 27,000 workers.

Print PDF

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...