There has been a remarkable 45% increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Maldives, with no other competing country showing similar growth. So far this year, 233,332 tourists from China have travelled to the Maldives, marking a significant rise compared to the same period last year.
According to the latest Tourism Update Report from the Ministry of Tourism, China has become the largest source of tourists for the Maldives, representing 14.8% of the market share. Notably, more than 12,000 Chinese tourists arrived in the first 16 days of this month alone.
In comparison, Russia ranks as the second-largest source of tourists, with 172,142 visitors recorded this year. This results in a difference of 61,190 tourists between the two countries.
Overall, the Maldives has welcomed a total of 1,573,991 tourists this year, reflecting a 9.5% increase from 1,437,220 during the same timeframe last year. The influx of tourists in October has also risen by 7.6%, with 81,964 arrivals this month compared to 76,172 in October of the previous year.
Current statistics indicate that the Maldives receives an average of 5,123 tourists daily. The government has set an ambitious target to attract 2 million tourists by the end of this year, and this goal is anticipated to be met by December.