More than 32,000 visitors have arrived in the Maldives in the first week of the new year.
This was revealed by the Ministry of Tourism through its latest daily tourist arrival statistics published on Monday.
As such, the ministry’s latest figures show that 32,349 tourist arrivals were recorded between January 1 – 6.
This is a 17.4 percent surge in comparison to the 27,544 arrivals recorded in the same period last year and much higher than the 26,906 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2023.
About 6,470 tourists are arriving on average every day during January.
Looking at the daily arrivals for January 2025:
- 5,715 tourists were welcomed on January 1
- 6,491 tourists were welcomed on January 2
- 6,421 tourists were welcomed on January 3
- 6,449 tourists were welcomed on January 4
- 7,273 tourists were welcomed on January 5
According to the ministry, 22,849 out of the 32,349 visitors recorded in the first week of January stayed at resorts. This makes up 70.6 percent. 7,615 tourists make up 23.5 percent of the tourists who stayed at guesthouses, 971 tourists make up three percent of the tourists who stayed at liveaboard vessels and 914 tourists make up 2.8 percent of the tourists who stayed at hotels during this period.
Presently, 1,271 tourist accommodation establishments are operational across the Maldives, including 172 resorts, 15 hotels, 929 guesthouses and 155 liveaboard vessels. 63,248 beds are operational across these facilities including 42,547 in resorts, 2,028 in hotels, 15,621 in guesthouses and 3,052 in safari vessels. Maldives has a total capacity of 1,282 tourist facilities including 183 resorts, 15 hotels, 929 guesthouses and 155 liveaboard vessels. This means that 11 resorts remain inoperative. Guesthouses are operational across 117 islands of 20 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.
Tourist arrivals for 2024 included:
- 192,385 visitors welcomed during January
- 217,392 visitors welcomed during February
- 194,227 visitors welcomed during March
- 168,366 visitors welcomed during April
- 119,875 visitors welcomed during May
- 123,284 visitors welcomed during June
- 167,528 visitors welcomed during July
- 176,175 visitors welcomed during August
- 132,795 visitors welcomed during September
- 172,621 visitors welcomed during October
- 172,987 visitors welcomed during November
- 208,980 visitors welcomed during December
As 2025 commenced Russia topped the tourist source markets, contributing 20 percent of the market share with 6,485.
China sat at the top of the list of tourist source markets by the end of 2024. 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.
Italy now ranks second place contributing 16.3 percent of the market share with 5,285 arrivals.
U.K comes in third place contributing 6.7 percent of the market share with 2,175 arrivals.
Other top tourist markets in 2025 include:
- Germany contributing 6.2 percent with 2,002 arrivals
- India contributing 3.5 percent with 1,127 arrivals
- United States contributing 3.2 percent with 1,022 arrivals
- Romania contributing 2.8 percent with 910 arrivals
- Kazakhstan contributing 2.7 percent with 882 arrivals
- China contributing 2.5 percent with 806 arrivals
- France contributing 2.1 percent with 681 arrivals
Maldives welcomed the first tourist of the year in the early hours of 1 January 2025. Luis and his family have visited the Maldives 11 times now.
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.
