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At the International Tourism Fair Madagascar, ForwardKeys’ Olivier Ponti shared the latest insights into global and regional travel trends — revealing a bright outlook for the island nation, but also key areas for strategic improvement. 

International air connectivity is on the rise globally, with capacity up +7% for July–September 2025 vs 2024. Southern and Eastern Africa are seeing particularly strong growth, driven by new routes and increased airline activity. 

For Madagascar, the picture is promising: 

  • Travel intent from key international markets is rising sharply; 
  • Emirates has become the second-largest airline to Madagascar; 
  • Nosy-Be and Antananarivo are seeing strong double-digit booking growth. 

 

However, the destination remains highly dependent on a limited number of hubs and just 11 direct international routes. There is significant untapped potential in underserved and unserved markets — where demand exists, but connectivity does not yet follow. 

Families and couples dominate the growing inbound market and longer stays are becoming more common — including more premium bookings. These trends highlight Madagascar’s appeal to high-value travellers seeking immersive, nature-driven experiences. 

To explore the full insights from the presentation, download the slides below. 

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