Male (Maldives), September 8: Tourist arrivals to the Maldives have crossed 1.5 million this year, with the island nation targeting a record 2.3 million visitors in 2025, according to data released by the Tourism Ministry.
As of Sunday, the Maldives has welcomed 1,520,699 visitors, a 9.7% increase compared to the same period in 2024, when arrivals stood at 1,386,554. On average, the country is receiving 6,083 tourists daily, keeping the country on track to surpass last year’s record of two million arrivals.
China Leads as Top Source Market
China remains the largest source market with 240,828 arrivals, accounting for 15.8% of the total share. Russia follows with 182,315 visitors (12%), while the UK ranks third with 136,619 arrivals (9%).
Top 10 Source Markets (Jan–Sep 2025):
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China: 240,828 (15.8%)
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Russia: 182,315 (12%)
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UK: 136,619 (9%)
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Italy: 107,736 (7.1%)
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Germany: 104,764 (6.9%)
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India: 87,410 (5.7%)
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USA: 44,418 (2.9%)
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France: 41,477 (2.7%)
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Spain: 35,463 (2.3%)
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Australia: 27,916 (1.8%)
The Velana International Airport’s new international passenger terminal, inaugurated on July 26, is expected to further boost arrivals with its 7.5 million annual passenger capacity.
Data shows 73.4% of visitors stayed in luxury resorts, 21.9% in guesthouses on local islands, 2.6% in hotels, and 2.1% in liveaboard vessels.
Despite robust growth, the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) reports a decline in the average duration of stay, dropping from 7.6 days to 6.9 days by June 2025.
The Maldives, crowned the World’s Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards for the fifth consecutive year in 2024, is aiming for 2.3 million tourist arrivals by the end of 2025.
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