The all-inclusive holiday has shed its old reputation for buffet lines and poolside daiquiris. Once dismissed as a mass-market, unadventurous category, it has become one of the fastest-growing and most reinvented segments in global travel and is visible for South Africans, in particular, in the enduring pull of Mauritius.
Modern travellers are worn down by decision fatigue. Between flights, transfers, restaurant bookings and daily spending choices, a holiday can start to feel like a second job. All-inclusive travel strips that complexity away: one upfront cost, no surprises once you land.
That appeal has pulled the category upmarket. Hospitality companies such as Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton have all moved into territory once dominated by coastal specialists with all-inclusive debuts this year from JW Marriott, Park Hyatt and W Hotels. This year, it seems, is shaping up to be one of the biggest yet for new openings in the category.
The numbers back this. All-inclusive bookings rose by about 35% across 2024 and 2025, and searches using all-inclusive filters on travel platforms have climbed sharply year on year, a sign travellers increasingly want a bundled stay rather than a trip pieced together booking by booking.
This isn’t a habit confined to older generations. According to Expedia’s 2025 trend report, a third of Gen Z respondents said their perception of all-inclusive has improved, and nearly half would choose that option over other accommodation offerings, simply for the reduced stress and easier booking process. Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to say all-inclusive packages offer better value than building a trip themselves.
The category itself looks different, too. Where it once meant unlimited cocktails and cheesy entertainment, there are also top-tier resorts — think Ikos in Greece and Spain — which promise gourmet dining, premium drinks and wellness programming aimed at younger, health-conscious travellers.
In Europe, package holidays are enjoying a comeback after years of independent, platform-driven booking, with some luxury all-inclusive packages competing with Michelin-level dining and curated excursions rather than buffet quantity.
For South African travellers, no destination has captured the all-inclusive imagination quite like Mauritius. There is no currency-conversion maths, no surprise bills for a round of ice creams, no visa required for South African passport holders, and it’s only a four-hour flight from Johannesburg. Accommodation, meals, drinks, water sports and entertainment are typically paid upfront, in rand, at a known rate — real reassurance given currency volatility and unpredictable fuel prices.
Resorts across the island span a full spread of tiers, from straightforward bed-and-breakfast arrangements to “premium plus” packages layered with à la carte dining, top-shelf spirits and spa credits. Combined with warm Indian Ocean water, a Creole-French-Indian culture and a hospitality industry that has spent decades refining the format, that range gives Mauritius its edge: predictable costs, minimal logistics, maximum scenery.
Set on Mauritius’s northwest coast between Grand Baie and Port Louis, Victoria Beachcomber is a good example of how the format has matured. It’s one of the island’s more popular resorts with South African families. In this resort, South African accents are easier to come by than in parts of Cape Town.
The resort centres on sea-facing rooms and an infinity-edged pool angled towards the sunset, with a main buffet restaurant that runs with real precision three times a day. It’s a format that suits children and teenagers especially well — they can help themselves on their own terms, while familiar favourites keep mealtimes easy for the whole family. Buffet fatigue can get real after a few days, but for travellers who like having options, it remains a draw rather than a drawback.
Beyond the buffet, dedicated Italian, steakhouse and seafood restaurants are all included (though it’s worth booking ahead to secure a table). On our visit, we went for Italian at La Casa, which boasted delicious fish one night and a good piece of steak on another. The family loved the seafood restaurant L’Horizon, which often offers the day’s catch, ranging from fresh fish and lobster to prawns and octopus straight from the Mauritian waters. The sushi, in particular, pleased the kids and brought a welcome change.
Another dining option is Morris Beef, the steak restaurant located in “Victoria for Two”. This is another draw of Victoria Beachcomber, offering a hotel-within-a-hotel of adults-only swim-up rooms, which open directly onto an 800m² open-air swimming pool.
Most activities at the main hotel are included in the rate: pedal boats, paddleboarding, waterskiing, snorkelling, a glass-bottom boat trip and wakeboarding. The tubing and parasailing, for instance, involved some additional costs, but our teenager loved these. There’s also Technogym equipment for gym-goers and a bustling kids’ club, part of which extends right on to the beach, for those wanting to fill their children’s days with activities.
The family apartments are a particular highlight, closer in feel to a well-appointed Airbnb than a standard hotel room. The apartments boast a cosy terrace overlooking the gardens and beach, an outdoor living area with sun loungers and a dining table, a spacious en-suite bathroom with a large bathtub and separate walk-in shower, and a second bathroom. The apartment uplifts the holiday experience and sets the scene for appreciated respite in the afternoons.
All the little details add up to a relaxed, four-star-plus family holiday with atmosphere, with one large main pool, easy-to-access beaches and plenty of activity. Which also means, for once, you can finish a book.
Then there’s the opening of Club Med on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal earlier this month. The company arguably invented the modern all-inclusive holiday more than 70 years ago, and after decades of searching for a location in South Africa, chose Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari, just over half an hour from Durban, so we can expect South Africans to further embrace the all-inclusive model.
There’s no doubt independent travel still holds enormous appeal. There’s something irresistible about discovering an unknown neighbourhood restaurant, following a local’s tip, getting to know historical sites or wandering without an itinerary into a gallery, bookshop or store. While those remain among travel’s greatest pleasures, they demand energy. Today, travellers are choosing all-inclusive holidays precisely because they require less of it.
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