Tourist arrivals near one million as year reaches midpoint

As the year approaches its midpoint, tourist arrivals in the Maldives are closing in on the one-million milestone.

According to the latest figures released by Tourism Ministry, the country has welcomed 951,222 tourists as of Wednesday. This reflects a four percent decrease compared to the corresponding period last year, when tourist arrivals stood at 992,225.

The decline in arrivals began with the outbreak of the Middle East conflict on February 28. Although arrival numbers dropped sharply from March onwards, the tourism sector started to show signs of gradual recovery toward the end of last month.

Statistics published by the Tourism Ministry shows that resorts remained the preferred accommodation choice, hosting 660,190 tourists, accounting for 71 percent of total arrivals. Guesthouses accommodated more than 200,000 tourists, while hotels recorded approximately 25,000 tourists. A further 19,987 visitors stayed aboard safari vessels.

China remained the Maldives' largest source market this year, contributing 144,931 arrivals as of Wednesday. Russia ranked second with 126,712 visitors, while the United Kingdom ranked third, generating more than 80,000 arrivals.

Despite total tourist arrivals nearing the one million mark, leading industry associations have underscored the significant impact of the regional conflict, estimating losses of USD 500 million to the tourism sector. The associations have formally appealed to the government for assistance in addressing the financial repercussions.

In response, the government has stated that efforts are being intensified to stabilize the industry and diversify source markets in an effort to strengthen tourist arrivals.