Maldives Passes One Million Arrivals as China and Russia Lead Source Markets

MALE’ — The Maldives has received more than one million visitors so far this year, with Velana International Airport handling the overwhelming majority of arrivals, according to figures released by the Ministry of Tourism.

Total arrivals stood at 1,028,549 as of the latest count. Of those, 97.3 percent came through Velana International Airport, which recorded 1,000,134 passengers. Gan International Airport in Addu came second with 4,057 passengers, followed by Maafaru International Airport with 3,525, Hanimaadhoo International Airport with 2,304, Villa International Airport in Maamagili with 1,858 and Dhaalu Airport with 825.

The daily average currently stands at 5,980 tourists.

China leads all source markets with 160,811 visitors, followed by Russia with 143,161, the United Kingdom with 84,545, Italy with 72,561 and Germany with 65,504.

By accommodation type, resorts absorbed the largest share with 721,206 visitors, while guesthouses hosted 237,168. Hotels accounted for 24,816 guests and safari vessels for 20,922.

The one million milestone comes against a backdrop of a difficult start to the year. Arrivals dropped 15 to 20 percent in March and April due to disruptions at Middle Eastern transit hubs caused by the regional conflict, with daily figures falling well below normal levels. The recovery since then has been significant enough to push the cumulative total past the million mark, though the pace of arrivals relative to last year remains a closely watched figure for an industry that drives the bulk of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.