Chinese arrivals have surged past 300,000 as of Monday, cementing China’s position as the Maldives’ most dominant and rapidly growing tourist source market this year.

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 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 eleventh 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 15.7 percent of the market share with 303,984 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 12.6 percent of the market share with 243,457 arrivals.

The United Kingdom comes third contributing 8.9 percent of the market share with 172,009 arrivals.

The ministry’s statistics go on to indicate that 104,443 tourists touched down at Velana International Airport (VIA) between November 1 and 17. This, is a 13.3 percent increase from the 92,166 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2024 and much higher than the 85,736 tourist arrivals recorded in 2023.

The statistics go on to reveal that 1,931,377 tourists were welcomed between January 1 and November 17. This is a 9.9 percent increase in comparison to the 1,756,814 arrivals recorded in the same period last year, and much higher than the 1,605,925 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, 6,601 during August, 4,985 during September, and 6,143 during October. So far in November, 6,528 visitors are being recorded on a daily basis.

Maldives continues to cement its reputation as a premier luxury travel destination, with statistics revealing that 73.7 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, 1,422,900 visitors have opted for the luxury of resorts. 416,608 tourists make up 21.6 percent of the tourists who stayed at guesthouses, 49,663 tourists make up 2.6 percent of the tourists who stayed at hotels, 40,531 tourists make up 2.1 percent of the tourists who stayed at liveaboard vessels and 1,675 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 has been 53 years since the island paradise has been enchanting travelers from around the globe with its unrivaled hospitality and picturesque beauty.