For ten days, the images leaving Mauritius were not those of turquoise lagoons or white-sand beaches, but of street confrontations, burning debris and nighttime curfews. Behind those images are people: a young woman fighting for her life, families wondering whether their holidays will go ahead, and hotel and villa staff working to reassure them. On Monday 19 October, the authorities lifted the curfew entirely, and the island’s tourism professionals, while not hiding their concern, report that no cancellations have followed.
The crisis began with a tragedy. On 9 October, Élodie Thomas, a 27-year-old woman, was seriously wounded by a police gunshot as she was returning home from work in a van, in Camp-Levieux. Her case sparked a wave of indignation across the island, followed by gatherings that were sometimes marked by violence, damage and fires. The unrest unfolded against a backdrop of rising living costs and water shortages, tensions that had been building well before that night.
For the people who live and work on the island, the days that followed were about holding life together. Hippolyte Bouigue, general manager of the Domaine d’Anbalaba in the south of the island, not far from the Morne, says his establishment was spared by the events. “For three days, no major incident has been reported and local life has regained its rhythm,” he explains. Schools have reopened. Activities have resumed. The estate continues to welcome its guests, and no cancellation linked to the unrest has been recorded there so far. A few residents and holidaymakers did, however, ask for details about the situation, particularly families anxious to enjoy their break with peace of mind.
That desire for reassurance runs through every conversation with the island’s tourism operators. “To say we are not worried would be an exaggeration,” admits Patrice Caradec, the French president of the Syndicat des entreprises du tour-operating (SETO). Yet the troubles have not upended vacationers’ plans. Despite a few questions from clients about their departure, “nobody has postponed, nor cancelled a single stay in Mauritius,” he says. The island was already riding a favorable wave: according to the figures he cites, the number of French passengers was up 6% in 2026 compared with the previous year, and bookings for the coming winter show a 3% increase, while the global market is down 3%.
On the ground, the picture is similar. Mathieu Appassamy, cofounder of Musas Villas, which rents high-end properties, notes that the disturbances were concentrated mainly in certain urban neighborhoods in the center of the island, around Rose-Hill, Phoenix and Camp-Levieux. “No beach, no hotel, no villa, nor tourist zone was affected,” he says. For his guests, the days unfolded as planned, between swims, excursions and restaurants. Only some evenings were adjusted to fit the curfew, with vacationers choosing to dine in their rental properties. His company recorded neither withdrawals nor postponements tied to the troubles, though French clients asked more questions, a reaction he attributes in part to the media coverage of the events in France. To reassure travelers, the professionals favor direct exchanges and up-to-date information.
Meanwhile, the hotel sector tells the same story. Clinton Ross Harmon, vice-president of sales and marketing for Mauritius, Réunion and East Africa at The Lux Collective, which operates the LUX* hotels on the island, states: “We have not recorded more cancellations than we usually observe.” According to the group, its establishments and their activities are functioning normally, while remaining attentive to how the local situation evolves. At Corsair, the events have not changed the schedule of six flights per week from Paris-Orly. “All of our routes have been maintained, without operational disruption,” the airline says, adding that its passengers were able to travel in usual conditions, with the agreement of the Mauritian authorities, and that it observed “no particular change” in traveler behavior.
The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) sought to project the same calm in a statement published on 19 October, the day the curfew was lifted. The body asserts that “no new localized incident has been reported in recent days,” that Sir-Seewoosagur-Ramgoolam international airport is operating normally, and that accommodations remain open without restriction, a reassuring message as the high season, running from November to March-April, approaches. A fuller picture of the situation and its implications for travelers can be found in the reference coverage at https://www.lefigaro.fr/voyages/emeutes-couvre-feu-et-crise-de-l-eau-faut-il-s-inquieter-avant-de-partir-a-l-ile-maurice-20261020.
The lifting of the curfew does not, however, mean the social tensions have disappeared. The Élodie Thomas case continues to stir deep emotion on the island, and the police officer suspected of firing the shot has seen his detention extended until 26 October. For travelers with bookings already in hand, the professionals’ advice is simple: follow how the situation develops and the guidance of the authorities, and stay in touch with your accommodation. Some operators even put the worries in perspective, drawing a parallel with the violence seen in Paris. Whether the calm of the past few days holds through the high season remains the open question for the families and workers who depend on it.