Maldives welcomes over 84,000 visitors by Saturday

The Maldives welcomed over 84,000 visitors by Saturday, reflecting continued momentum in tourist arrivals as the peak travel season gains pace.

This was revealed by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment through its latest daily tourist arrival statistics.

As such, the ministry’s statistics revealed that 84,061 tourists touched down at Velana International Airport (VIA) between December 1 and 14.

This, is a 12.6 percent increase from the 74,669 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2024 and much higher than the 74,093 tourist arrivals recorded in 2023.

The statistics go on to reveal that 2,106,122 tourists were welcomed between January 1 and December 14. This is a 10 percent increase in comparison to the 1,912,304 arrivals recorded in the same period last year, and much higher than the 1,757,940 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2023.

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 twelfth month of the year nears ending.

China contributes 15.2 percent of the market share with 320,721 arrivals.

Russia sits at second place on the list contributing 12.5 percent of the market share with 263,172 arrivals.

The United Kingdom comes third contributing nine percent of the market share with 189,513 arrivals.

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 has been 53 years since the island paradise has been enchanting travelers from around the globe with its unrivaled hospitality and picturesque beauty.