Maldives welcomes 2023’s first visitor: Nikolai Stratichuk

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has revealed that the first tourist of 2023 that visited Maldives is from Russia.

A special event was held today at Velana International Airport to welcome this year’s first tourist, named Nikolai Stratichuk, to the Maldives. He touched down in the Maldives this morning on an Etihad flight.

Nikolai, who is on his first trip to the Maldives, came to enjoy his vacation with his family.

He will be staying in Reethi Faru Resort Maldives.

He was welcomed today at the ceremony by senior officials of MMPRC, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), the Ministry of Tourism, and Maldives Immigration.

Speaking at the ceremony, the CEO and MD of MMPRCm, Thoyyib Mohamed, said that the last year was a very successful year for the Maldives, and he highlighted that the Maldives won numerous accolades.

“This past year has been one of immense success to the Maldives, winning award after award. We welcome the first visitor of 2023 with a smile on our face, and the aim in our hearts to maintain the successes of last year.”

In the year we have passed, 1.6 million tourists chose the Maldives as their holiday destination. It’s the government’s goal to welcome even more tourists than last year. As the borders open to the Chinese market, there will come a significant increase in the number of tourists coming to witness the natural beauty of the island nation, as per the tourism minister, Dr Abdulla Mausoom.

While the first tourist of 2023 is from Russia, the European giant was the country that the second most tourist visited Maldives from in 2022, with only India having more tourists come to the Maldives.