Tourist arrivals to the Maldives in 2026 exceed 1.5 million

Tourist arrivals to the Maldives have surpassed 1.5 million so far this year.

According to the latest statistics released by the Tourism Ministry, a total of 1.52 million tourists had arrived in the Maldives as of Monday. While this represents an increase compared to the same period in 2024, arrivals are 3.6 percent lower than during the corresponding period last year.

The average daily tourist arrival rate has also declined slightly, falling from 6,126 visitors per day last year to 5,904 this year.

China remains the Maldives’ largest source market, accounting for 279,410 arrivals, followed by Russia with 218,445 tourists. Other major source markets include:

• United Kingdom: 114,986 tourists
• Italy: 95,297 tourists
• Germany: 92,684 tourists
• India: 85,818 tourists

In terms of accommodation preferences, 1.09 million tourists stayed at resorts, while more than 300,000 visitors chose guesthouses. Hotels accommodated over 34,000 tourists, while 27,950 visitors spent their holidays aboard safari vessels.

The decline in tourist arrivals earlier this year has been attributed to the conflict in the Middle East that began on February 28. The conflict affected key transit routes commonly used by travelers heading to the Maldives, resulting in prolonged disruptions to air travel.

However, tourist arrivals have recently begun to show signs of recovery. Notably, the previous month recorded the highest number of arrivals since the conflict in the Middle East began.

Tourism Minister Mohamed Ameen has expressed optimism about the sector’s prospects, stating that the ongoing peak season is expected to be highly successful for the industry. He also projected that total tourist arrivals for the year would not fall below last year’s figure.

The Maldives recorded a total of 2.2 million tourist arrivals last year.