Mauritius Beyond the Beach: An Island in Search of Deeper Travels

It fell to Dinesh Burrenchobay, chairman of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, to address this paradox at ITB Berlin 2026, the travel industry's foremost annual gathering. With a candour that stands out in such diplomatically cautious circles, he acknowledged the grain of truth in the cliché before making the case for a less partial view.

"We are very well known for our beautiful beaches and our turquoise Indian Ocean. But there is so much more to explore on the island," he said.

An interior waiting to be discovered

Beyond the shoreline lies a geographically diverse interior that few visitors bother to seek out. Burrenchobay singled out the Seven Coloured Earths Geopark, a polychromatic geological formation set in the Chamarel plain, whose volcanic soils offer a spectacle as arresting as it is geologically intriguing.

To the west, Le Morne Brabant stands as the emblem of this lesser-known Mauritius. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this 556-metre basalt massif looms over the south-western coastline — a sporting challenge and a site of memory in equal measure, its cliffs having sheltered runaway enslaved people in the nineteenth century. For walkers, the Black River Gorges National Park offers more than fifty kilometres of marked trails through protected tropical forest.

To these terrestrial attractions can be added the marine riches of the western coast, well suited to dolphin and whale watching, and the quiet islets reachable from the north — secluded havens for bathers in search of something more genuine.

"In ten days, one can do far more than lie on a sun lounger. Some hotels now actively encourage their guests to venture out, which is an excellent thing," said Burrenchobay.

One island, several continents

It would, however, be to shortchange Mauritius to dwell only on its landscapes. The island's true singularity lies in its people. A crossroads of colonial history, Mauritius has seen populations of African, Indian, European and Chinese origin mingle and interweave, producing a Creole identity of unrivalled richness in the region.

"I like to say that we are one island, but also several continents gathered in a single place," Burrenchobay offered, in a phrase that rather says it all.

For the visitor keen to unravel this complexity, the capital, Port Louis, provides the natural starting point. Within a few streets, one moves from the Chinatown quarter — recently revitalised by the Sino-Mauritian community — through the spiced aromas of Indian tables, to the Creole kitchens serving rice, rougaille and venison curry, the island's emblematic dish.

The island's religious heritage speaks with equal eloquence to this coexistence. In Port Louis, the Basilica of Marie-Reine de la Paix presides over the city from the hills, whilst the Jummah Mosque, one of the oldest in the Indian Ocean, attests to the depth of the island's Islamic roots. At the centre of the island, Ganga Talao — a sacred crater lake ringed by temples and shrines — stands as Mauritius's foremost Hindu pilgrimage site, drawing thousands of the faithful each year.

"I think many tourists who come to Mauritius are still rather taken aback by the fact that such a small country is home to such different peoples, living side by side in remarkable harmony," Burrenchobay observed.

The regenerative tourism challenge

Beyond promoting what already exists, the MTPA chairman did not sidestep the environmental pressures bearing down on the destination's future. Mauritius, like other small island states, is exposed to the full force of climate change — coastal erosion, disruption to marine ecosystems, strain on freshwater resources.

Adaptation measures are under way: strengthened coastal protections, an accelerated shift towards renewable energy. But Burrenchobay looks further ahead, sketching the outline of a genuinely regenerative tourism model — one in which the visitor is no longer merely a consumer of scenery, but an active participant in the stewardship of the territory.

"I think we should involve tourists more in actions that benefit local communities. We can do more, and above all, do better," he said.

The ambition is clear: that visitors leave Mauritius with a sense of having contributed something — and a reason to return. It is no simple equation to resolve, but it may well define the future of island destinations in a world learning, haltingly, to travel differently.

Source: Euronews Travel, Rebecca Ann Hughes — 9 March 2026 | ilemauricetourisme.info