Maldives Crosses 1.7 Million Tourist Arrivals So Far This Year

Malé, October 21 – The Maldives has welcomed more than 1.7 million tourists so far this year, according to the latest figures released by the Ministry of Tourism. Data published by the ministry show that 1,716,493 tourists had arrived in the country as of Tuesday, a 3.2 percent drop compared with the same period last year. In October so far, 113,472 tourists have arrived, with the highest single-day arrivals recorded on Sunday at 8,621. China continues to be the Maldives' number one source market, with over 300,000 arrivals this year, followed by Russia with 200,000. The United Kingdom, Germany and Italy each sent more than 100,000 tourists. The majority of visitors — 1,681,318 — arrived through Velana International Airport, while 5,992 arrived via Gan International Airport and 15,583 by sea through seaports. Among accommodation types, resorts hosted 1,245,732 tourists, guesthouses on inhabited islands hosted 366,649, and hotels hosted 38,053.