The Maldives welcomed 200,000 tourists in February, marking a new monthly high, according to the Ministry of Tourism. This represents a 20% increase compared to February of the previous year, exceeding the previous record of 177,000 arrivals. In January of this year, the Maldives welcomed 192,000 visitors.
An average of 7,600 tourists arrived in the Maldives daily during February. The surge in arrivals is attributed to a significant increase in flights from China. To date, 52,000 Chinese tourists have visited the Maldives this year, accounting for 13% of total arrivals. Russia follows closely behind as the second largest source of tourists, with 37,800 arrivals. Italy and the United Kingdom contributed 37,300 and 34,000 tourists, respectively.
Year-to-date, the Maldives has received 390,000 tourists, indicating a 15% increase compared to the same period last year. The Chinese market has been particularly strong, and more Chinese airlines are expected to establish routes to the Maldives in the near future. Existing direct flight operators include Beijing Capital Airlines, China Eastern, and Sichuan Airlines. Additionally, Xiamen Airlines began offering charter flights this month.
The Maldives’ budget for this year projects a total of two million tourist arrivals. The Ministry of Tourism has set a slightly higher target of attracting 2.3 million tourists for the year.
