China continues to dominate the Maldives' tourist arrival figures, securing the top position among all source markets so far this year.

This was revealed by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment through its latest weekly tourist arrival statistics published on Thursday.

The ministry’s statistics indicate that China has reaffirmed its dominant position in the island nation's key economic sector, remaining the leader in tourist arrivals to the Maldives with no signs of slowing down as the ninth month of the year nears ending.

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 now contributes 15.9 percent of the market share with 248,636 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 12.1 percent of the market share with 189,221 arrivals recorded by Thursday.

The United Kingdom comes third contributing nine percent of the market share with 140,534 arrivals.

Statistics go on to reveal that 81,714 tourists touched down at Velana International Airport (VIA) between September 1 – 18. This, is a 14.2 percent increase from the 71,525 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2024 and much higher than the 69,631 tourist arrivals recorded in 2023.

The statistics go on to reveal that 1,568,640 tourists were welcomed between January 1 and September 18. This is a 9.6 percent increase in comparison to the 1,430,757 arrivals recorded in the same period last year, and much higher than the 1,299,712 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2023.

The ministry went 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 during April, 4,375 during May, 4,726 during June, 6,024 during July, and 6,601 during August. During September, 4,807 visitors have been recorded on a daily average.

Maldives continues to cement its reputation as a premier luxury travel destination, with statistics revealing that 73.5 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, 1,152,623 visitors have opted for the luxury of resorts. 342,159 tourists make up 21.8 percent of the tourists who stayed at guesthouses, 40,658 tourists make up 2.6 percent of the tourists who stayed at hotels, 32,041 tourists make up two percent of the tourists who stayed at liveaboard vessels and 1,151 who stayed at other facilities during this period.

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. Visit Maldives 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, the Minister of Tourism and Environment attended a special ceremony at 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 Hulhulé, underscoring the nation's ongoing environmental initiatives.

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.