China has extended its reign as the top contributor to tourist arrivals in the Maldives, reaffirming its dominant position in the island nation's key economic sector.

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

As such, statistics reveal that China has remained the leader in tourist arrivals to the Maldives with no signs of slowing down, dominating the top source markets as the sixth month of the year nears an end.

The tourism ministry’s statistics revealed that 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. China contributes 12.4 percent of the market share with 131,753 arrivals.

China sat at the top of the list of tourist source markets by the end of 2024 as well.

Russia sits at second place on the list contributing 11.3 percent of the market share with 120,769 arrivals recorded by Sunday.

The United Kingdom comes third contributing 9.9 percent of the market share with 105,222 arrivals.

Further, the statistics go on to reveal that between June 1 – 21, 99,017 tourists were welcomed at Velana International Airport (VIA). This is a 16 percent increase from the 85,344 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2024 and higher than the 77,737 arrivals recorded the previous year.

Further, between January 1 and June 21, 1,065,375 tourists arrived in the Maldives. This is a nine percent surge in comparison to the 977,587 arrivals recorded in 2024 and much higher than the 886,981 arrivals recorded in 2023.

Maldives welcomed the one millionth tourist of the year on June 7. Kajal Singh arrived in the Maldives to spend her honeymoon at Malahini Kuda Bandos, and this was her first visit to the Maldives. The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) announced that this marked the fastest time in the nation's history that tourist arrivals reached the one-million mark within a calendar year. To commemorate the milestone, Minister of Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim attended a special ceremony at Velana International Airport (VIA) to personally welcome the milestone visitor.

During the ceremony, which emphasized the Maldives' commitment to sustainable tourism, the one millionth tourist of 2025 was invited to plant a tree. Embracing the gesture, the visitor took part in a symbolic tree-planting at Hulhule, underscoring the nation's ongoing environmental initiatives.

The statistics go on to reveal that about 6,931 tourists arrived on average every day during January, 7,646 in February, 6,563 in March, 6,611 tourists arrived on average during April and 4,375 tourists arrived on average during May. About 4,715 tourists are arriving on average every day during June.

The Maldives continues to cement its reputation as a premier luxury travel destination, with statistics revealing that 72 percent of visitors opt for stays at the nation’s upscale resorts. This trend underscores the enduring appeal of the island nation’s exclusive accommodations and pristine surroundings among global travelers.

So far, 750,649 visitors have opted for the luxury of resorts. 237,708 tourists make up 22.8 percent of the tourists who stayed at guesthouses, 29,386 tourists make up 2.8 percent of the tourists who stayed at hotels, 24,527 tourists make up 2.4 percent of the tourists who stayed at liveaboard vessels and 812 who stayed at other facilities during this period.

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

A true jewel of the Indian Ocean, Maldives has been dazzling among passionate travelers since tourism was introduced in the island nation 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.