India remains top source market for Maldives tourism as year ends

As the year concludes, India remains top source market for Maldives tourism.

By Wednesday, the neighboring country, also the top source market of Maldivian tourism through 2020, ranked first, contributing 22.2 percent of the total arrivals figure recorded this year.

As the year has drawn to an end and at a time the Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom had revealed that arrivals from India are expected to grow to top the markets by the end of the year, Maldives recorded a total of 290,920 arrivals from India between January 1 – December 29.

Russia follows closely at second contributing 16.8 percent of the arrivals, with 220,213 arrivals by December 29. Third comes Germany contributing 7.2 percent with 94,784 arrivals.

Maldives reached its tourist arrivals target for the year with the arrival of Romanian national Constantin Stelian Emil on December 27.

A colorful celebration was held at the airport to welcome Emil, who arrived via a GullivAir flight with his spouse and two children. Emil and wife spent their honeymoon in the Maldives five years ago and are ecstatic to be back in the Maldives.

According to the ministry’s statistics, Maldives welcomed a total of 1,312,706 arrivals between January 1 - December 29 which is a which is a 138.8 percent increase from the arrivals recorded in 2020, a sluggish year for Maldives tourism due to border-closure. However, 2021’s arrivals so far are a decrease of 22.5 percent in comparison to the over one million arrivals recorded during the same period in 2019, a groundbreaking year for Maldives tourism.

Tourist arrivals are being maintained at an average of 3,616 on a daily basis this year, with their stay period recorded at an average of eight days.

155,053 visitors have been welcomed at Velana International Airport (VIA) so far in December.

Of the total arrivals figure recorded so far this year, 92,103 tourist arrivals were recorded during January and 96,882 visitors were welcomed during February. Arrivals in March were at 109,585. In April Maldives welcomed 91,200 arrivals, followed by 64,613 visitors in May.

The number dropped to 56,166 during the month that followed, which the ministry believed to be linked to the restrictions and precautionary measures implemented in the face of a worsening Covid-19 situation as a fourth and more infectious wave was confirmed in early May. July saw 101,818 visitors welcomed into the Maldives.

Maldives broke its monthly tourist arrivals records with figures topping 143,599 in August. In September, Maldives welcomed 114,896 tourists, making it the third highest figure recorded so far in 2021. The second highest figure was recorded in October, at 142,066 visitors.

Based on the tourism ministry’s statistics, an average of 4,734 tourists are visiting the Maldives every day this month, with their average stay period recorded at eight days.

The ministry revealed that a record-breaking 7,098 arrivals were recorded on Sunday, making it the highest daily figure recorded since border reopening. Maldives has broken the record four times throughout the concluding month.

Since border reopening, Maldives has broken this record five times; first in August, followed by October and then three times during December.

Minister Mausoom revealed that they remain hopeful to achieve next year’s target; set at two million.

During 2020, Maldives recorded 555,494 tourist arrivals, which was a drastic plunge from the previous year’s 1,702,887 arrivals.

Tourist arrivals have begun to bounce back with the easing of travel restrictions as well as safety measures against Covid-19.

Maldives is gearing up to mark 50 years since the tourism industry’s inception, in 2022, which is to be celebrated as the golden year of tourism in Maldives.