Over 300,000 tourists choose guesthouses as arrivals hit 1.46 million

Three hundred thousand tourists to guesthouses so far this year, 22 percent of total tourists

More than 300,000 tourists have stayed in guesthouses in Maldives so far this year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism.

The ministry’s latest weekly report shows that Maldives recorded 1,461,682 tourist arrivals, of which 317,178 stayed in guesthouses, 22 percent of all visitors.

Most tourists continued to choose resorts. A total of 1,053,055 tourists stayed in resorts, accounting for 73.5 percent of arrivals this year.

In addition, 33,513 tourists stayed in hotels, while 26,550 tourists visited Maldives on cruise liners.

China remains the top source market, bringing 268,117 tourists so far this year. Russia follows with 209,815 visitors. The UK is third with 110,983 tourists, followed by Italy and Germany. India remains in sixth place.

Tourist arrivals have been affected by disruptions in Middle Eastern air routes after the US attacks on Iran on February 28. Many flights using the region were delayed or cancelled, and rising transport costs have added further pressure on the sector.