President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that the Maldives will record 3.5 million annual tourist arrivals by 2028. He made the statement while giving his Presidential Address at the Parliament of the Maldives.
In his address, President Solih said that the economy of the Maldives is expected to grow twofold by 2028. He noted that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was USD5.6 billion in 2018 and will grow to USD12 billion by 2028, resulting in the state receiving USD2.9 billion in revenue that year. He further said that the Maldives will record 3.5 million tourist arrivals by 2028 because of the projects and initiatives implemented by the administration.
The Maldives is recording an increase in tourist arrivals even when compared to the number of visits prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest statistics from the tourism ministry show that 172,535 tourists visited the Maldives in January, which is a 30.9% increase compared to the 131,762 tourist arrivals recorded in January of 2022. It is also a 13.8% increase compared to the 151,552 arrivals recorded in January 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, the government had aimed to bring in 1.6 million tourists by 2022 and the target was achieved on December 20. The government aims to attract 1.8 million tourists in 2023.