Over 10,000 visitors were recorded during the first three days of the new year.

As per statistics from the Ministry of Tourism, a total of 10,360 tourists arrived in the island in the first three days of 2021. 96,225 tourists visited the country during December, which is an increase of over 20,000 compared to the total recorded since border reopening on July 15 till the end of November.

Data from the Tourism Ministry reveal that most arrivals were from Russia for the first three days of the year, with 3,226 Russian tourists having traveled to the country. Ukraine is the second biggest tourist-market with 979 Ukrainian travelers arriving in Maldives thus far in 2021, and India followed at a close third with 778 Indian tourists having arrived in the Maldives for the first three days of the year; India was the top source market for tourist in 2020, with a total of 62,905 arrivals recorded from the neighboring nation.

Noting that the arrivals averaged at about 3,456 tourists per day during the first three days of the year, Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom expressed his gratitude and hopes for the new year in a tweet, adding that "year 2021 looks promising".

Currently, more than 25 different airlines are conducting flights to Maldives; international airlines have significantly increased operations to the island nation following re-opening of borders in 15 July 2020, reflecting a swelling demand for the country among travelers as their most desired holiday destination.

While the pandemic had a huge impact on the number of travelers visiting Maldives from major tourist markets, it has also opened up previously peripheral markets that are helping sustain the industry after one the toughest years ever for the business.

The Tourism Ministry aims to have 1.5 million tourists visit Maldives by the end of this year. 555,399 tourists arrived in Maldives in 2020, despite it having been a year where the global Covid-19 pandemic triggered border closures and travel restrictions all over the world.