Ministry of Finance has revealed that projections indicate an estimated 8.3% increase in tourist arrivals to the Maldives in 2024.
The tourism sector in the Maldives exhibited faster growth than previously estimated, according to the Medium-Term Fiscal Strategy Report 2024-2026, citing a recovery that began in 2021 from the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth continued into 2022, witnessing a rapid recovery. Initially projected at 1.63 million tourists and 10.4 million bed nights for 2022, the Maldives welcomed 1.68 million tourists, with bed nights reaching 12.3 million by the end of 2022.
The report showed that the first quarter of 2023 witnessed an increase in tourism activity, attributed largely to the reopening of Chinese borders and the resumption of the Chinese market in January 2022. A total of 523,928 tourists visited the Maldives in the first quarter of 2023, which is a 21.4% increase compared to the same period in 2022 and an 8.5% increase compared to the first quarter of 2019. In addition, bed nights during the period totalled 3.9 million, which is a 15% increase from 2022 and a 29% increase compared to 2019.