More than 65,000 tourists have been welcomed so far in February.

This was revealed by the Ministry of Tourism through its latest daily tourist arrival statistics published on Sunday.

Between February 1 – 8, 65,052 visitors were recorded, marking a 10 percent surge from the 59,118 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2024. It is a lot higher than the 47,003 arrivals recorded in 2023.

According to the ministry, 214,863 tourist arrivals were recorded between January 1 – 31.

This was an 11.7 percent surge in comparison to the 192,385 arrivals recorded in the same period last year and much higher than the 172,499 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2023.

About 6,931 tourists arrived on average every day during January and 8,132 tourists are arriving on average every day during February.

In total, 279,915 tourists have arrived in the Maldives so far this year. This is an 11.3 percent surge in comparison to the 251,503 arrivals recorded in 2024 and much higher than the 219,502 arrivals recorded in 2023.

The ministry’s latest figures go on to reveal that 194,000 out of the 279,915 visitors that were recorded by Monday stayed at resorts. This makes up 69.3 percent. 71,912 tourists make up 25.7 percent of the tourists who stayed at guesthouses, 7,273 tourists make up 2.6 percent of the tourists who stayed at hotels, 6,584 tourists make up 2.4 percent of the tourists who stayed at liveaboard vessels and 146 who stayed at other facilities during this period.

Presently, 1,134 tourist accommodation establishments are operational across the Maldives, including 172 resorts, 15 hotels, 793 guesthouses and 154 liveaboard vessels. 60,995 beds are operational across these facilities including 42,454 in resorts, 2,032 in hotels, 13,381 in guesthouses and 3,128 in safari vessels. Maldives has a total capacity of 1,139 tourist facilities including 177 resorts, 15 hotels, 793 guesthouses and 154 liveaboard vessels. This means that seven resorts remain inoperative. Guesthouses are operational across 116 islands of 20 atolls, resorts are operational across 172 islands of 19 atolls and hotels are operational across nine islands of eight atolls.

Maldives welcomed 2,046,615 visitors in 2024. In 2023, 1,878,543 tourist arrivals were recorded.

Although Russia topped the tourist source markets into the third week of January, it was replaced by China into the last week of January.

China has topped the leading source of tourists since then. The ministry’s figures revealed that as 2025 commenced Russia topped the tourist source markets, however, it has since been replaced by China, contributing 17.4 percent of the market share with 48,571 arrivals.

China sat at the top of the list of tourist source markets by the end of 2024 as well. 2024 began with Italy topping the tourist arrival markets of the island nation; however, it was replaced by Russia for a few weeks and then by China for the remainder of the year.

Although Italy ranked second place for a few weeks since the new year began, it was replaced by China for a while and now, Russia sits at second place on the list. Russia ranks second place contributing 9.7 percent of the market share with 27,126 arrivals recorded by Monday.

U.K comes third contributing 9.1 percent of the market share with 25,523 arrivals.

Although South Korea topped the tourist source markets by the end of January, it has since been replaced by Austria on the list of top 10 markets.

A true jewel of the Indian Ocean, Maldives has been dazzling among passionate travelers since tourism was introduced in the Maldives in 1972. It is going to be 53 years since the island paradise has been enchanting travelers from around the globe with its unrivaled hospitality and picturesque beauty.