Tourism land rent rises to MVR 714m despite arrivals slump since February

The government collected MVR 714 million in tourism land rent during the first four months of this year, according to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA).

This marks a 22.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year, when collections stood at MVR 582 million. The highest revenue so far this year was recorded in March. Monthly receipts were:

• January: MVR 90 million  

• February: MVR 18.7 million  

• March: MVR 440 million  

• April: MVR 128 million  

According to the Ministry of Tourism, the number of operational tourist beds in Maldives has now risen to 67,302. These include:

• Resorts: 44,977 beds across 179 properties  

• Guesthouses: 16,190 beds in 918 establishments  

• Safari vessels: 3,481 beds in 171 vessels  

• Hotels: 2,654 beds in 16 hotels  

Tourist arrivals began declining on February 28, following the escalation of the Middle East conflict. Arrivals have continued to fall since then.

Industry leaders estimate the sector has suffered USD 500 million in losses and have requested government assistance to recover from the impact.