Over 50 000 Soccer World Cup tourists visited Mozambique during the tournament this year, Mozambican state media reported.

A total of 252 120 tourists visited Mozambique during June, which increased by 10 percent from the same period last year, reported Noticias newspaper.

"The initial forecast was that the country would receive a number corresponding to 10 percent of the 450 000 tourists who would travel to South Africa during the World Cup," Mozambican director of tourism Martinho Matxiwa said.

South Africans dominate the Mozambican tourism market.

During June many "runaways" came to the rainbow nation's tropical neighbour to escape the crowds during the event.

The tourism industry also had increased bookings during the period.

"We have quite a lot of South Africans coming up who aren't interested in the watching the World Cup," said tour operator David Kimber.

"It's unusual. People are looking to get away in the five weeks of school holiday."

Bookings at holiday resorts were up compared to the same time last year, said Kimber.

However, more tourists are starting to come from Europe, America and Asia to Mozambique, the newspaper reported.

At least 1.4 million people entered South Africa during the World Cup, most of the first-time visitors, Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said last week. - Sapa