Mauritius said on Friday that tourism revenue in 2016 will be 1.9 per cent higher than it had previously forecast, after a surge in visitors during the first quarter.

Tourism is a valuable source of foreign exchange for Mauritius, an Indian Ocean country known for its luxury spas and beaches.

Tourism earnings are now expected to reach MUR55 billion ($1.56 billion) this year, up from earlier forecast of MUR54 billion ($1.49 billion), according to Statistics Mauritius, the government's statistics office. Last year, tourism earnings totalled MUR50.2 billion ($1.38 billion).

The statistics agency also raised its forecast for 2016 arrivals to 1,240,000 from 1,230,000 tourists. Visitors in 2015 numbered 1,151,723.

In the first quarter of 2016, Mauritius attracted 327,836 tourists, up 12.5 per cent from a year earlier. Revenue grew 13.9 per cent to MUR15 billion ($414.9 million) in the quarter, the agency said. - Reuters