Maldives celebrates record two million tourist arrivals

The Maldives welcomed its two millionth visitor of the year on Thursday – making 2024 a record year for Maldivian tourism in terms of tourist arrivals.

Astrid Dirnegger, an Austrian woman on holiday with her husband and two children, arrived at the Velana International Airport (VIA) on Thursday morning on Austrian Airlines flight OS 045-6.

The Boeing 777-200 plane carried 327 passengers from Vienna to Male’.

Dirnegger received a warm welcome from the airport, where she was personally received by Maldivian Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal.

As the two millionth tourist of the year, Dirnegger received a six-day holiday courtesy of the SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton. She also received gifts from Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation, Maldives Airports Company Limited, Immigration, and Customs.

Maldives had welcomed 1.7 million tourists in 2023 – a milestone the island destination surpassed this year back in November.

The country had set an arrivals goal of two million visitors for this year. This goal, which has now been achieved, is a historical feat.

Maldives, which won the award for the WTA World's Leading Destination for the fifth consecutive year in 2024, expects to up tourist arrivals to 2.2 million next year.