The Sales Director at JW Marriott Mauritius Resort, Natasha Webber, highlighted a shifting pattern in the international travel market. She noted that Russian travelers now rarely reserve stays in foreign hotels, a change she attributes to a combination of currency volatility and broader geopolitical factors. This shift has noticeably altered booking behavior on the resort’s books, especially for the European segment that has become the strongest contributor to profitability in recent months.
According to Webber, Russia previously accounted for about five percent of the resort’s business before the pandemic. Once borders reopened, that share doubled and stayed steady through February, illustrating how quickly travel demand can rebound when travel corridors resume. Yet the instability back home and fluctuating exchange rates have encouraged many Russian visitors to purchase tickets at the last minute, creating tighter windows for pricing and availability management at luxury properties.
Webber added that while Russians were once a steady slice of the top-line, the current reality sees European guests taking the lead in profitability. This has given management confidence to maintain current pricing strategies rather than cutting rates, even as demand patterns evolve. The resort continues to focus on delivering high-value experiences that justify premium pricing and drive repeat visits from luxury-seeking travelers.
Meanwhile, Panagiotis Markou, who leads sales and marketing at Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, shared a different viewpoint. He noted that roughly one third of tourists from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States are still in the region, awaiting decisions about travel plans. He suggested that this cautious approach may require a reconsideration of pricing and marketing tactics, especially in regions with fluctuating demand and cultural connections to travel rituals across the CIS and Europe.
Markou also observed that very few Russian visitors are engaging in high-spend activities at the resort, such as luxury room categories, spa services, and fine dining experiences. This insight points to a broader trend where translation of demand into high-margin spend becomes a key challenge for premium destinations that rely on international tourism to sustain revenue growth in a volatile market.
Earlier discussions and declarations about the region indicated rising numbers of Russian tourists, underscoring a persistent interest in destination travel from this market. The dynamic landscape continues to press hospitality providers to adapt swiftly, balancing price discipline with compelling value propositions to attract guests from Russia, the CIS, and neighboring markets while maintaining profitability for upscale properties.