Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday said tourist arrivals from Europe and Middle East region increased for the month of July.
Statistics released by the Tourism Ministry showed that the European region performed well during the period from January to July 2016 with 6.4% growth, which was complemented by the strong growth (+11.3%) recorded for the region during the month of July 2016.
The U.K market although led the region with 7.2% shares during the month of July 2106 was the second largest market within the region for the period from January to July 2016 with 8.1% shares, the Ministry said.
It added that the market saw a solid 10.1% growth during the month of July 2016 and 10.2% at the end of the period from January to July 2016 compared with the same period of 2015.
It said that Germany, which followed behind U.K during the month of July 2016 with 5.4% shares, was the number one market within the region at the end of the period from January to July 2016 with 8.2% shares. German market registered a positive 2.5% growth during the month of July 2016.
img:http://s1.psmnews.mv/images/660x400/14708324495130.jpg|Two tourists kayaking in crystal clear waters near a tourist resort in the Maldives - FILE Photo
According to the statistics, the Middle East region was the best performer during the month of July 2016 in terms of growth rate, with a robust 51.4% increase compared with that of 2015.
The region recorded a heavy growth at the end of the period from January to July 2016 compared with the same period of 2015, the Ministry said.
The Maldives enjoyed a 5.7% growth in tourist arrivals during the month of July 2016, reaching a total of 730,353 at the end of the first 7 months of the year.
The annual growth rate for the year rose from 1.8% at the end of first six months of 2016 to 2.3% for the first seven months of the year.
According to the Ministry, over the years, the month of June is recorded to be the lowest month for tourist arrivals to the Maldives, resulting in a sharp growth from June to July. This trend was followed in 2016 with 110,432 tourists arriving the country during the month of July, which was an increase of 40% compared with the 79,034 arrivals in June 2016.