China sits at the top of the list of tourist source markets, contributing 13.8 percent of the market share
First tourist of the concluding year being welcomed at VIA back in January
The tourist arrival figure for November has surged. The ministry’s statistics reveal that between November 1 and 24, a total of 139,175 visitors touched down at Velana International Airport (VIA). The arrival figure for November is a 5.8 percent increase compared to the 131,517 arrivals recorded in the same period last year and a lot more than the 116,786 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2022. About 5,799 tourists are arriving on average every day during November, and tourists are staying for eight days.
Statistics go on to show that between January 1 and November 24, the Maldives welcomed 1,803,823 tourists. Arrivals so far this year are a 9.2 percent increase from the 1,651,706 arrivals recorded in the same period last year, and a significant growth from the 1,461,152 arrivals recorded in 2022. The daily average for 2024 so far is 5,483, and tourists are staying for an average of eight days. The highest number of tourist arrivals recorded on a daily basis so far this year was on February 10, when more than 10,000 tourist arrivals were recorded. The Maldives welcomed 1.8 million tourists in 2023 and aspires to welcome two million tourists this year.
Further, the ministry revealed that China remains the top source of tourist arrivals, proving a growing demand for travel to the island nation in the eastern Asian region.
China sits at the top of the list of tourist source markets, contributing 13.8 percent of the market share with 248,564 arrivals by November 24.
The year began with Italy topping the tourist arrival markets of the island nation; however, it was replaced by Russia for a few weeks.
Although the United Kingdom ranked in second place for a while, it was replaced by Russia once more.
Russia now contributes 11.2 percent of the market share with 202,136 arrivals recorded so far.
Russia dominated the tourist arrival markets of the Maldives by the end of 2023.
The UK currently ranks in third place in the top 10 markets, contributing 8.7 percent of the market share with 156,944 arrivals.
Although India was among the top three source markets at the beginning of the year, it was replaced by China.
Welcoming the first tourist of 2024 to the Maldives back in January, Minister of Tourism Ibrahim Faisal noted that it was a fantastic start to what promises to be another successful year for the Maldives’ tourism industry. He expressed keen interest in diversifying and exploring additional markets to reach this year’s arrival target. The Maldives welcomed the one millionth tourist of the year, six months in, on June 27.
Tourism was introduced in the Maldives in 1972. It has been 52 years since zealous travelers visited the Maldives, which has been drawing in visitors with its picturesque beauty for years.
