Cruise Tourist Arrivals in Maldives Surge 89 Percent This Year

The Maldives is experiencing a significant rise in cruise tourism, with passenger arrivals jumping nearly 90 percent compared to the same period last year, according to new data from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. Of the 1.2 million total tourists who have visited the archipelago so far this year, 15,577 arrived via cruise liners. This represents a sharp increase from the 8,263 cruise passengers recorded during the same timeframe in the previous year. The growth peaked in the first quarter, with February emerging as the most popular month for cruise visitors, recording 5,237 arrivals. March followed as the second-highest month with 4,049 visitors, while April saw 3,457 passengers disembark in the Maldives. France has established itself as the primary source market for this growing segment. Out of the 31,508 French nationals who visited the Maldives this year, approximately 5.4 percent arrived by cruise ship, highlighting a strong preference for luxury maritime travel among European tourists. This uptick in cruise arrivals contributes to the broader growth of the Maldivian tourism sector, diversifying the ways international travelers access the islands beyond traditional flight-and-resort packages.