Wide-body aircraft was unveiled in 2024 to boost tourism: Pres.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has revealed that the government inaugurated wide-body aircrafts last year to boost tourism in the Maldives.

He said this during his second presidential address delivered at the inaugural sitting of the People’s Majlis for 2025, held on Thursday morning.

President Muizzu said that it is the government's goal to begin work on building resorts in atolls such as Haa Dhaal atoll and Thaa atoll, where tourism has not been expanded so far, by providing incentives and other concessions for investment this year.

Highlighting that the government inaugurated wide-body aircrafts last year to boost tourist arrivals, President Muizzu said that work is underway to expand the national airline's international operations to additional cities in China and other regions. He said that another wide-body aircraft is scheduled to arrive in October this year, which will enable the national airline to begin direct flights from the Maldives to some European destinations as well.

In addition to this, President Muizzu noted that for the first time in the history of the island nation, two million tourists visited the country. Maldives exceeded two million tourist arrivals in 2024.

While President Muizzu has stated that the government inaugurated wide-body aircraft last year to boost tourist arrivals in the Maldives, in last year's presidential address, President Muizzu promised to create more opportunities in the tourism sector and open 20 new resorts in 2024.  He also said that opportunities would be provided to complete unfinished resorts. However, by the end of the year none of these promises were realized.