As Mauritius prepares its Budget 2026 consultations, much attention is being given to traditional pillars of the economy: tourism, finance, energy, and digital innovation. Yet one emerging sector deserves a far greater strategic attention: the sports economy. The Government has already recognised this potential. Through the national sports economy strategy, Mauritius aims to position itself as a regional hub for sports events, sports-tech innovation and sports tourism, with the ambition of raising the sector’s contribution to GDP from roughly 1.2 % toward nearly 2 % over the coming years.

If Mauritius wants to unlock the full economic potential of sports, it must begin thinking about sport not only as competition or recreation, but as a powerful economic ecosystem built around fans. This is where a new concept, Fan Lifetime Value (FLV), becomes particularly relevant for the Mauritian business community.

See the customer as a fan

Businesses traditionally think in terms of Customer Lifetime Value, the total value a customer generates over time. Sport changes the equation. A fan is not merely a customer.

A fan is often loyal for decades and may even pass that loyalty to the next generation. In some studies of sports fandom, the “lifetime value” of a fan can extend from three years to nearly a century, precisely because it can span generations within families.

This insight has profound implications for Mauritius. Walk into any Mauritian café, the veranda of a local shop, a living room or a bar during a big English Premier League match and you will see the phenomenon at work. Entire families support the same clubs, often inherited from parents, uncles or cousins. Fans proudly collect jerseys, scarves and memorabilia.

Some even gather in cinema halls to watch football finals together, armed with their ravanne (a goatskin frame drum), maravanne (a seed-filled rattle), and the triangle, creating and enjoying the rhythmic foundation of the island’s vibrant musical culture.

This is not ordinary consumption. It is identity, culture and tribe. Identity is where real economic value lies.

Many surfaces of sports monetisation remain untouched

Globally, sport has evolved into a multi-layered industry. Fans generate value through many channels, including stadium tickets and hospitality experiences, broadcast and streaming rights, and merchandise and apparel.

In other words, sport is no longer a single revenue stream. It is a network of economic surfaces built around fandom.

Mauritius has begun moving in this direction. The Sports Economic Commission aims to attract international events, promote sports tourism and encourage sport-tech innovation.

Much more can be done if policymakers and businesses adopt a fan-centric perspective.

Build the Mauritian sports brand

The first opportunity lies in nation branding through athletes and teams. Small countries often punch above their weight in sports by building global stories around individual athletes. Each Mauritian athlete competing internationally is also an ambassador for the island.

The private sector can amplify this through sponsorship ecosystems, digital storytelling and athlete-driven tourism campaigns.

A Mauritian champion competing abroad should not only represent sport but also tourism, innovation and national pride.

Develop the “Sports Tourism Economy”

Sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments in global travel.

Mauritius already hosts international marathons, triathlons and sailing events. It could go further by positioning itself as the Indian Ocean hub for sport experiences, including cycling tourism, trail running and mountain sports, sailing regattas, e-sports tournaments and international youth competitions.

Each event creates multiple economic benefits from hotels and restaurants to airlines and media coverage.

Invest in sport-tech and data

Perhaps the biggest opportunity lies in data and digital engagement. Around the world, sports organisations increasingly use digital tools to understand fan behaviour. Apps, prediction games and fantasy leagues help identify the most engaged fans, those likely to spend more over time.

These platforms generate valuable behavioural data that allows organisations to measure and grow FLV. Mauritius could become a regional hub for sports-tech startups, combining sport, data analytics and digital entertainment.

A new mindset for sport in Budget 2026 is needed

Budget 2026 should not view sport only as a cost or a social programme. It should be seen as a long-term economic asset.

If Mauritius embraces the idea of FLV, the country can transform sport into a driver of tourism, a platform for innovation, a catalyst for youth employment, and a powerful source of national identity.

In a small island economy, the most valuable resource is often not physical infrastructure but human passion. Sport has that passion in abundance.

The challenge for Mauritius now is to turn that passion into a sustainable sports economy for the decades ahead.